How the war on Gaza is playing into US, UK domestic politics: NYT

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: The New York Times
29 Feb 2024 15:20

The looming US presidential elections are facing a downward spiral while the UK parliament comes face-to-face with a deepening divide in policy-making.

Palestinian Abdul Rahman Sharif holds the body of his four-year-old son Abdul Rahman Muamm, killed in the Israeli bombardment of Gaza, at his funeral in Khan Younis on Feb. 26, 2024. (AP)

Indeed, the tables have turned. The looming US presidential elections are facing a downward spiral while the UK parliament comes face-to-face with a deepening divide in policy-making - all due to "Israel's" war on Gaza and the West's failure to even address it properly.

Regarding the United States, and according to a report by The New York Times, the case has proved itself through US President Joe Biden's last round of voting in the fate-deciding state of Michigan. Both Biden and GOP frontrunner Donald Trump won the primary elections in the state with GOP candidate Nikki Haley hanging in the background.

However, the "uncommitted" movement against Biden in the state strengthened the anti-Biden sentiment among many, especially those whose voices for a ceasefire are being silenced, and as the movement is likely to spread to other states such as Minnesota next week and Washington the week after by its organizers - Listen for Michigan.

With most votes counted on Wednesday morning, 13% of primary voters had chosen “uncommitted”, which stood for more than 100,000 people in Michigan who made the effort to express their disapproval of the President.

Asma Mohammed, a progressive activist who is among the leaders of a new group called Uncommitted Minnesota, said, “This is the only option we have to enact democracy in this moment,” adding, “We are against a Trump presidency, and we also want Biden to be better. If that means pushing him to his limit, that is what it will take.”

Biden is not just losing among regular working citizens, but student votes have shown to be playing an even bigger part, as students in Michigan and other states across the US with progressive and anti-war sentiment are showing frustration with Biden's support for "Israel". It is worth noting in this case that Biden lost votes among many students in Michigan who voted "uncommitted".

Even before the primary, a report by Politico last week detailed that some Democrats in Michigan fear that President Biden's campaign underestimates the discontent among Arab American and young voters over his response to the war on Gaza.

"I'm still surprised that they're not taking this more seriously," state Sen. Darrin Camilleri told Politico. "I feel like this is 2016 all over again," he added, while referring to Donald Trump's electoral victory that year. "It feels like our national party is not listening to our issues on the ground. If the president doesn’t change course, I would not be surprised if Biden loses the state [in November]."

The danger becomes even nearer as Super Tuesday is due on March 5 when most states vote in the presidential primary cycle.

It's not looking so good

As for the United Kingdom, the ceasefire matter has become a tool for one party to use against the other - Labour accusing the Tories of Islamophobia and the Tories accusing Labour of anti-semitism for calling for a ceasefire.

Steven Fielding, an emeritus professor of political history at the University of Nottingham, said, “It’s an example of how a really serious issue has been distorted by the prism of party politics in Britain”.

Daniel Levy, who runs the US/Middle East Project, a research group based in London and New York, said, “Because of the Corbyn era, Israel has become part of a culture war in this country in a way that didn’t happen two decades ago” - referring to former previous party leader Jeremy Corbyn who mirrored the same comments in support of Palestine as Labour candidate Azhar Ali.

The Labour Party has an upcoming threat to face amid this situation: elections in Rochdale, north of Manchester, are due next Thursday to elect a new member of Parliament to replace a Labour lawmaker who passed away in January. Even though Ali is not a party favorite, he remains on the ballot and could still win.

Still, according to The New York Times, this has paved the way for an insurgent candidate, George Galloway, a one-time Labour MP now the leader of the leftist Workers Party of Britain, who is appealing to Rochdale’s major Muslim population with a pro-Palestinian message.

“If George Galloway does well enough,” Levy said, adding, “It will encourage a whole slew of Labour outriders to run on this issue.”

Even if the Tories win in the general election this year, staunchly supporting "Israel" will eventually backfire just like it did when the last elected Labour Prime Minister, Tony Blair, supported Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s invasion of Lebanon, and when it went downhill for the Israelis, Blair faced the consequences at home.

“Arguably, that was a bigger political problem for Tony even than the Iraq war,” said Jonathan Powell, who was Blair’s chief of staff at the time.

Meanwhile, Ben Ansell, a professor of comparative democratic institutions at Oxford University, said, “There are a lot of Tory M.P.’s who are going to lose their seats, so they are looking for media opportunities."

Sunder Katwala, the director of British Future, a research institute that focuses on immigration, race, and identity, explained that through media appealing to anti-Muslim sentiment means impeding the momentum of Labour.

“If you look at what Conservatives use against Labour, it’s that you can’t trust them because they will be controlled by others,” Katwala said. “At the moment, they’re switching from ‘woke leftists’ to ‘the Islamists.’”