Stephen Zunes : Democratic Party Foreign Policy
Democrats Attack Amnesty Report on Israel to Justify US Complicity in Human Rights Abuses
28 February 2022
T The Biden administration and congressional leaders of both parties have launched a full-frontal assault on the integrity of Amnesty International, the world’s largest human rights organization. This decidedly mainstream nongovernmental organization (NGO) — which is a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, boasts more than 10 million members worldwide and is cited frequently by […]
Harry Reid’s Hawkish Foreign Policy Record
3 January 2022
The death of former Democratic Senate leader Harry Reid of Nevada has brought forth praise for his parliamentary skills, which helped make possible some critically important legislation, as well as preventing the passage of a number of seriously problematic bills. However, on the foreign policy front, it should be noted that Reid not only failed to challenge dangerous Republican initiatives that violated fundamental principles of international law and human rights, he was often among their most prominent supporters.
The United States’ Imperial Foreign Policy Is the Deadly Enemy of Progress at Home
14 June 2021
So explained a well-known artist, a Palestinian citizen of Israel, as he sat in the tiny “safe room” (in fact, the bathroom) of his Jaffa apartment, chatting over WhatsApp during the latest flare-up of extreme violence in the Holy Land. Rampaging mobs of right-wing Jews marauded through the neighborhood below his window while missiles shot […]
Commentary: Panetta out of touch with constituents in his support for Netanyahu
27 May 2021
As the ceasefire takes hold ending the fighting between the forces of Hamas and Israel, questions are being raised by central coast voters over controversial statements made by Congressman Jimmy Panetta (D-20) as the carnage was unfolding. During the 11-day war, eleven Israeli civilians and close to 150 Palestinian civilians, including 66 children, were killed. […]
125 Democrats Say Military Aid to Israel Shouldn’t Depend on Human Rights Record
3 May 2021
n an apparent response to growing calls for making U.S. aid to the Netanyahu government conditional on Israeli adherence to human rights law, 330 members of the U.S. House of Representatives signed a letter late last month insisting that the $3.8 billion in annual military aid the United States provides Israel remain unconditional. The letter — which […]
One of the Democrats’ Biggest Hawks Is Now Senate Foreign Relations Chair
26 January 2021
Now with a working majority, the Democrats have named Sen. Robert Menendez (D-New Jersey) to chair the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. This has rung alarm bells for advocates of peace, human rights and international law, given that Menendez has opposed the Iran nuclear agreement, repeatedly attacked the United Nations and the International Court of Justice, supported unconditional military aid to governments that have used the weapons in the commission of war crimes, and taken other positions far closer to those of Republicans than rank-and-file Democrats.
Pompeo Embraced Israeli Settlements, But Democrats Also Paved the Way for It
28 November 2020
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has faced widespread international condemnation for his recent assertions that illegal Israeli settlements constructed in the occupied West Bank are somehow legal and part of Israel, and that products from these colonies on confiscated Palestinian land should be labeled as “Made in Israel.” What fewer are discussing, however, is that while these proclamations are unprecedented in their scope, they are in fact the culmination of decades of bipartisan support for Israeli expansionism.
Biden’s Pick for Secretary of State Has a Record of Militarism
24 November 2020
President-elect Joe Biden’s selection of Antony Blinken for secretary of state is a worrying sign. Despite Biden owing his election to the Democratic Party’s progressive base and left-leaning independents, he has nominated someone The Washington Post has described as having “a centrist view of the world” and who has “supported interventionist positions.”
Most Dem Voters Are to the Left of Biden on Foreign Policy. Can He Be Moved?
16 November 2020
While a likely Republican-controlled Senate could limit many of the progressive domestic policies President-elect Joe Biden has promised to enact, presidents have far more leeway to advance their agenda in the realm of foreign policy. As a result, Biden — who has perhaps the most extensive background in foreign affairs of any new president in U.S. history — has the ability to make a positive difference. While he will certainly be an improvement over Donald Trump, Biden’s record is well to the right of most Democratic voters.
