fighting anti-Zionist” organization that would endorse only candidates who supported the BDS (boycott, divestment, sanctions) movement against Israel. (This would disqualify Sanders.) The resolution further called for any DSA member opposing BDS or affiliated with the liberal Jewish organization J Street to be expelled, along with anybody who believes that “Israel has a right to defend itself.”
The wording of the amendment is not to auto expel anyone who meets these criteria. The wording makes an exception that these members continue this activity “even after receiving fair and ample opportunity for education about the Palestine struggle for liberation.” Furthermore, to carry out an expulsion would require “a vote of 2/3 of all members of the National Political Committee.” This is the highest and most committed and busy deliberative body in the organization. In order for a member’s commitment to Zionist principles to even get to the level of considering expulsion would require that the member had not only flagrantly rejected any attempt to reform their position, but that a super-super majority of members on the NPC decided it was necessary to take a vote, and voted affirmatively for expulsion. The left does have a super majority on the NPC, but not a super-super majority. That’s a higher percentage of NPC members than delegates who voted for the resolution in the first place. You would have to willingly and flagrantly try to damage the credibility of DSA, and the Palestinian liberation movement to even be considered for expulsion around this issue.
The endorsement piece is trickier, I’ll admit. But the resolution was the culmination of years of debate on this issue, and is representative of the principles of the org
Okay I found the source. From the article:
The wording of the amendment is not to auto expel anyone who meets these criteria. The wording makes an exception that these members continue this activity “even after receiving fair and ample opportunity for education about the Palestine struggle for liberation.” Furthermore, to carry out an expulsion would require “a vote of 2/3 of all members of the National Political Committee.” This is the highest and most committed and busy deliberative body in the organization. In order for a member’s commitment to Zionist principles to even get to the level of considering expulsion would require that the member had not only flagrantly rejected any attempt to reform their position, but that a super-super majority of members on the NPC decided it was necessary to take a vote, and voted affirmatively for expulsion. The left does have a super majority on the NPC, but not a super-super majority. That’s a higher percentage of NPC members than delegates who voted for the resolution in the first place. You would have to willingly and flagrantly try to damage the credibility of DSA, and the Palestinian liberation movement to even be considered for expulsion around this issue.
The endorsement piece is trickier, I’ll admit. But the resolution was the culmination of years of debate on this issue, and is representative of the principles of the org