Israel’s war in Gaza dominates US midterm races as Democrats split

American and Israeli flags at the Democratic national convention in Chicago in August 2024. Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images View image in fullscreen American and Israeli flags at the Democratic national convention in Chicago in August 2024. Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images Israel’s war in Gaza dominates US midterm races as Democrats split Tensions between progressive and moderate camps of Democratic party on display in key Senate race in Michigan The Israel-Gaza war created gaping divisions in the Democratic party and contributed to a resounding loss in a critical presidential election year in 2024. Two years later, the issue continues to dominate races across the country, as progressives try to seize on Israel’s falling popularity and a broad anti-war sentiment ahead of November’s midterms. A recent debate among two Democrats vying for one of the most competitive US Senate seats in the country openly displayed the tension between progressive and moderate camps of the party. “They clearly want one individual and it’s not me,” Michigan Democratic contender Abdul El-Sayed said, referring to pro-Israel groups such as the American Israel Public Affairs Committee that are spending against him. “So long as our politicians continue to be bought off by Aipac, do not be surprised when we fight wars that are in their best interest to annex Lebanon, or to do genocide in Gaza.” Haley Stevens, the moderate US representative benefiting from pro-Israel spending in the Senate race, retorted that Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu was “trashing” her on CNN that day, saying she wasn’t afraid to stand up to Israel either. “No one owns my vote and no one owns my policies,” she said during the debate. “Anyone who is contributing to my Senate campaign is doing so because of my proven record of fighting for Michigan.” View image in fullscreen Bernie Sanders with Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed at a campaign rally in Detroit in May. Photograph: Sarah Rice/Getty Images The careful balance of rhetoric and policy required of candidates trying to capture American sentiment on Israel has become a fraught litmus test. A poll by the Associated Press in June shows a third of US adults of all political backgrounds, and roughly half of Democrats, believe Israel has committed genocide in Gaza. The share of Democrats who said the US was too supportive of Israel was nearly 60%, up from 45% in January 2024. While younger Democrats were more likely to hold this view, older Democrats increasingly share it too, the poll found. Barack Obama official and moderate Democrat Rahm Emanuel’s speech in Tel Aviv this week could serve as evidence of that shift. With his eye on the 2028 presidential election, the former mayor of Chicago emphasized that US military aid to Israel should end, and in related interviews said he wouldn’t take money from AIPAC. Both of these statements would have been taboo for a moderate Democrat a few years ago. This year, the prominent role that foreign wa