In the 2024 US elections, the Democratic Party platform supports Biden’s stance on Gaza and his Middle East policies
The 2024 Democratic Party platform strongly supports President Joe Biden’s approach to the Gaza conflict and his general policy on the Middle East. It brags about continuity with present policies. The platform reassures Israel that under President Biden it will have security but presses for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It denounces the Hamas-led attacks and reiterates Israel’s right to self-defense without abandonment of the call for an end to settlement expansions and opposition to unilateral action on either side.
Despite these positions, the platform has been attacked for failing to mention the Israeli occupation and failing to propose consequences for Israeli human rights abuses. That frustrates progressive factions within the party, who say the platform doesn’t go enough in underlining Palestinian rights and the unfolding humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Biden’s administration has come under scathing criticism both domestically and internationally over its handling of the Gaza conflict. Critics have maintained that the U.S. has done little to distinguish Hamas militants from civilians, with a view of ascertaining a high civilian count on the toll register of the dead. The administration has been at work with diplomatic efforts aimed at securing a ceasefire, though these have hit a number of hurdles with mixed success.
But on the larger Middle East policy, the Democratic platform calls for shifting the focus from military interventions to practical diplomacy. That means pledging to re-engage Iran over its nuclear program and to end support for the Saudi-led war in Yemen, highlighting how military actions can be overcome by a determined will for a diplomatic solution.
It also details plans to maintain a limited military presence in Iraq to deter the reconstitution of ISIS and continue supporting anti-extremist operations in Syria. This approach represents a balanced strategy in sustaining the necessary military operations while having diplomatic engagement and regional stability as priorities.
The overall Democratic Party platform is toward the continuity of the Biden current Middle East policies, with security and diplomacy on top—cautious use of military involvement while responding to internal and external criticisms in order to manage its complexities in the geopolitics of the region.
