The messy alteration of the party platform at the recent Democratic National Convention was a political embarrassment for Democrats and a rhetorical gift to Republicans. But did it mean anything? At a time when presidential candidates so powerfully shape their party’s personality, do these platforms even matter anymore? In the short term, the answer is…
In a few days we’ll celebrate one of the emotional peaks in the Jewish calendar, the twice-yearly proclamation that ends the Yom Kippur fast and Passover feast: Next year in Jerusalem. We won’t mean it literally. For most it’s a metaphorical prayer for a better world, expressing faith that history has direction and meaning, with…
The speaker of the Knesset, Reuven Rivlin, told Israeli reporters that the controversy over the mention of Jerusalem in the Democratic National Committee platform had “far-reaching significance” in harming the relationship between the Obama administration and Israel. The deputy speaker of the Knesset disagrees. In a conversation this morning in my office, Shlomo Molla, a…
A day of criticism and damage control efforts ended with a Democratic about-face on the issue of Jerusalem. The party decided on Wednesday to amend its new platform and to reinstate in its language recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. The amendment, which was personally ordered by President Barack Obama, may put an end to the…
Jerusalem has many mysteries, but none may be as perplexing at present as its temporary disappearance from the Democratic Party platform. Several people involved in the platform’s writing who spoke to JTA late Monday and early Tuesday said they did not know how boilerplate references to Jerusalem as Israel’s capital that have appeared in Democratic…
Democrats restored language in the party platform recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Stung by attacks by Republicans and Jewish lawmakers, the party approved the change in a floor vote late Wednesday afternoon at their convention in Charlotte. It reinstated language from the 2008 platform. The change was first reported by NBC News. The…
What a difference four years makes. In 2008, the Democratic Party’s platform vowed “an active role” in aiding the procurement of “a lasting settlement” in the region. That accord would provide closure for Palestinian refugees via “an international compensation mechanism” and the creation of a democratic and viable homeland. The platform made reference to “the…
The Republican Jewish Coalition praised the Republican Party platform, focusing particularly on its Israel planks and noting the document’s endorsement of two states for Israelis and Palestinians. “The 2012 Republican platform is a forward-looking document that celebrates American exceptionalism and focuses on the most pressing issues facing our nation: rebuilding our economic strength, providing for…
100% of profits support our journalism
