How a Democratic advocacy group works to keep the party firmly pro-Israel
In short: Founded in 2019, Democratic Majority for Israel operates as an influential force within the American Democratic Party. By backing candidates, running targeted advertising, and educating voters, the organization seeks to ensure that support for Israel remains a core tenet of progressive politics, even as internal party dynamics shift over time.
Democratic Majority for Israel (DMFI) emerged in January 2019, driven by polling data suggesting that younger voters and Democrats were becoming less supportive of Israel than previous generations. Founded by Mark Mellman and other party strategists, the group established a sister political action committee, DMFI PAC, later that year to provide financial and organizational muscle for pro-Israel candidates. The organization’s stated mission includes advocating for autonomous Israeli defensive capacity, promoting a two-state solution, and countering efforts to delegitimize the state of Israel.
The PAC has played a pivotal role in several high-profile primary contests. In the 2020 Democratic presidential primaries, it spent over $1.4 million on advertising opposing Bernie Sanders, a move some journalists credited with helping Joe Biden secure the nomination. In 2021, the group spent over $2 million in Ohio’s 11th congressional district to help Shontel Brown defeat Nina Turner. More recently, the group has engaged in primary challenges against members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, including the successful efforts to support George Latimer against Jamaal Bowman and Wesley Bell against Cori Bush.
Beyond electoral politics, DMFI engages in broader policy advocacy and public education. It has championed the adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism and supported the Biden administration’s National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism. Following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks, the group’s leadership observed a shift in the political center of gravity, noting that the events reinforced the necessity of the U.S.-Israel alliance. The organization continues to monitor and respond to political rhetoric from both sides of the aisle, frequently criticizing figures it deems unreliable or extreme regarding the U.S.-Israel relationship.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Democratic Majority for Israel
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