The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), a left-wing faction of the US Democratic Party that represents democratic socialists, social democrats and other left-wing ideologies within the party, were criticized Friday for providing a survey to New York City Council candidates on whether they will pledge not to visit Israel and support a boycott, as reported in the New York Post.
The 12-page document, which was sent out last month, included questions such as “Do you pledge not to travel to Israel if elected to City Council in solidarity with Palestinians living under occupation?"
The follow-up question focused on support for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement in response to recent Israeli deliberations on annexing portions of the West Bank, stating “Do you support the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement? If not, why?”
The response to the survey has been mixed, with some accusing the DSA of antisemitism and singling out Israel, while others defended the group as rightfully criticizing Israeli actions towards the Palestinians.
State Sen. Liz Krueger (D-Manhattan) wrote on Twitter in response to the survey: “Respect much of what DSA stands for. I’m also a Jew and Zionist opposed to annexation and disagree w/Israeli gov’t’s treatment of Palestinians.
“But singling out Israel for special condemnation, among all questionable regimes we deal with, is antisemitism, and must be called out,” Krueger added.
State Sen. Brad Hoylman, who represents Manhattan, also wrote in response that “This is repugnant and should be withdrawn.”
Another public official, former Councilman David Greenfield, called the survey “Antisemitism. Plain and simple,” while Tali Farhadian Weinstein, a former federal prosecutor and District Attorney in Brooklyn, noted the double standard of singling out Israel, saying, “So let me get this straight. Per this questionnaire it would be ok for me to travel to Iran, the country of my birth, which hangs men for being gay and may stone women for adultery, but not to Israel.”
Supporters of the DSA's actions defended the group from accusations of antisemitism as well. Simone Zimmerman, the founder of B'tselem USA, the American counterpart of the Israel-based organization that documents human rights violations in the West Bank, and the anti-occupation Jewish organisation IfNotNow, said in response to the accusations that the "DSA building power w/o compromising on Palestine is threatening, so they need to delegitimise it," according the Middle East Eye.
Zimmerman added that pro-Israel groups "are the ones who singled out Israel in our politics, not DSA."
Similarly, Naomi Dann, a communications director for NYC Council Member Brad Lander, said in a tweet that "There are tens of thousands of Palestinian New Yorkers, many of whom have been displaced or separated from family because of Israeli govt policies.
"Elected officials in NYC represent those communities just as much as they do American Jews with close ties and family in Israel. It's time they acted like it," she added.
The NYC branch of the DSA said in a statement posted on Twitter that “Members of the City Council are regularly taken on an expenses-paid trip to Israel that functions primarily as a political junket to foster ties between local officials and the Israeli state,” said a representative for the group. “It is the only country that Council Members are regularly taken on delegations to visit for this purpose.
“Given that there has been an explicit call from Palestinians to not go on such government junkets and to put pressure on Israel to end the occupation and discrimination through boycott, divestment, and sanctions, we asked prospective candidates whether they would respect that call,” the organization added.