New Democratic Party platform shuns US arms embargo on Israel

The Democratic Party has adopted its party platform ahead of the US presidential election in November, and despite pro-Palestinian demonstrators demanding Kamala Harris impose an arms embargo on Israel, the 92-page document makes no mention of halting weapons to the country.

Rather, the party platform touts the "2016 Memorandum of Understanding is ironclad". The 2016 memorandum refers to the Israeli-US agreement signed under former President Barack Obama, which gives Israel $3.8bn in US military aid each year. The memorandum runs until 2028.

The platform was approved on Monday, the first day of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, and its section on the Middle East appeared similar to a leaked draft of the platform seen by Middle East Eye last month.

The platform also lists examples of Biden's unwavering support for Israel's war on Gaza, including the sending of arms shipments and providing a diplomatic shield for Israel at the United Nations during votes for a ceasefire and regarding concerns about human rights violations.

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