At its 2025 National Convention over the weekend, the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) voted to make support for Israel’s right to self-defense an “expellable offense,” further entrenching the far-left group’s anti-Israel position.
The resolution, titled “For a Fighting Anti-Zionist DSA”, passed 56% to 43% and openly endorses the Palestinian “Thawabit” — a framework demanding the so-called “right of return” for millions of Palestinians and their descendants, claiming Jerusalem as a Palestinian capital, and backing violent “resistance” against Israel. Palestinian leaders have long described these principles as aimed at eliminating the Jewish state.
Under the new rules, statements such as “Israel has a right to defend itself” or equating anti-Zionism with antisemitism can trigger expulsion by vote of the DSA’s National Political Committee.
The DSA — the largest socialist organization in the US with about 78,000 members, including several elected officials — has a history of opposing US military aid to Israel, supporting the BDS movement, and defending Israel’s enemies. It previously called Hamas’s October 7 massacre “a direct result of Israel’s apartheid regime” and urged supporters to attend pro-Palestinian rallies. In April, its international committee defended Iran’s “right to self-defense” against Israel.