Top US Socialist Group Backs Palestinian Resistance

By Staff, Agencies

The Democratic Socialists of America [DSA], the largest socialist organization in the United States, passed a resolution on Sunday that supports the Palestinian right to resist and makes supporting "Israel" an expellable offence.

The resolution, passed with a 56 to 43 percent vote at DSA’s biennial convention, also allocates resources to pro-Palestine organizing and emphasizes the Palestinian right to return "from the river to the sea".

DSA heavyweight Zohran Mamdani, a New York assemblyman, won the June Democratic mayoral primary. He’s part of the DSA’s nine-member “State Socialists in Office” bloc.

Mamdani has historically supported the Palestinian-led Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions [BDS] movement, which aims to make “Israel” comply with international laws and respect Palestinian rights through non-violent means.

The DSA holds sway over key unions like the United Auto Workers [UAW], which joined six others in urging an end to US military aid to "Israel". However, some unions, like the International Longshoremen's Association [ILA], stopped short—allowing military cargo to move even during an October strike.

Sunday’s resolutions contained both political and practical commitments for DSA.

Politically, the resolution supports al-Thawabit, or the Palestinian red lines, the unifying principles outlined by the Palestinian Liberation Organization in 1977.

These principles include the recognition of Al-Quds as the capital of Palestine, the Palestinian right to resist and the right to self-determination.

The resolutions also make publicly and consistently opposing the BDS movement, taking money from pro-"Israel" lobbying groups, and supporting the transfer of funds or weapons to "Israel" an expellable offence.

Elected officials are expected to be held to similar standards by DSA.