DNC chair Ken Martin is emblematic of the party elite’s decision to cling to the unacceptable status quo on Palestine and Israel—even at the risk of losing more elections.

After nearly two years of genocide in Gaza, the Democratic Party’s once-unshakable support for Israel is beginning to fracture. Unfortunately, the Democratic elite—which has played a crucial role in enabling and perpetuating the slaughter in Gaza—is still clinging to the status quo. And nowhere is that more evident than in how Ken Martin, the recently installed chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC), is handling the issue.

In early August, The Intercept reported that Martin’s aides pressured 26-year-old pro-Palestine DNC delegate Allison Minnerly to water down a symbolic resolution calling for the party to support an immediate ceasefire and an arms embargo, to suspend military aid and recognize Palestine as a state.

When Minnerly refused, Martin publicly backed a competing resolution that maintains a Biden-era commitment to advancing Israel’s “qualitative military edge.” This resolution was crafted with the input of Democratic Majority for Israel, a group whose super PAC worked to oust former Representatives Jamaal Bowman and Cori Bush.