By: Fern Sidman

The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), the nation’s largest socialist political organization, adopted a controversial resolution at its 2025 National Convention over the weekend that significantly sharpens its anti-Israel platform and codifies penalties for members who deviate from its newly defined ideological line.

As reported on Wednesday by The Algemeiner, the measure — titled “For a Fighting Anti-Zionist DSA” — passed with 56 percent of delegates in favor and 43 percent opposed, marking one of the closest and most contentious votes of the convention. The resolution “unequivocally affirms” the DSA’s commitment to the Thawabit, a Palestinian nationalist framework that demands the so-called “right of return” for millions of Palestinians and their descendants, claims Jerusalem as a Palestinian capital, and explicitly supports “resistance” against Israel.

Palestinian political leaders and activists have long described the Thawabit as a set of principles aimed at eliminating Israel as a Jewish state and replacing it with a Palestinian state from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea.

The Algemeiner report noted that the resolution goes beyond endorsing the Thawabit by introducing enforceable disciplinary measures. Under the new policy, statements such as “Israel has a right to defend itself” or public endorsements of the view that “anti-Zionism equals antisemitism” will be considered “expellable offenses.” These cases will be subject to a vote by the DSA’s National Political Committee, creating a formal pathway for removing members who express pro-Israel positions.

The move represents an escalation from the organization’s prior positions, which already included opposition to U.S. military aid to Israel and support for the boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) movement. According to the information provided in The Algemeiner report, the resolution’s adoption reflects a determination among the group’s leadership to not only articulate anti-Zionist views, but to enforce them internally.

The decision highlights an increasingly visible gulf between far-left activists and mainstream Democrats. While many Democratic lawmakers have voiced criticism of Israel’s military operations in Gaza, the party’s leadership has generally maintained support for Israel’s right to defend itself and for its continued existence as a secure Jewish state.

By contrast, The Algemeiner reported that DSA members celebrated the vote as a bold step toward “Palestinian liberation.” Critics, however, have warned that the resolution could alienate potential allies in broader progressive circles and normalize extremist rhetoric that blurs the line between legitimate policy critique and calls for the dismantling of Israel.

With a membership of approximately 78,000 nationwide, the DSA represents a small but vocal segment of the Democratic Party’s activist base. Its conventions, The Algemeiner report noted, are closely watched for signals of policy shifts that may influence local and national progressive platforms.

The latest resolution comes amid a broader intensification of anti-Israel rhetoric from DSA leadership since the Hamas-led massacre across southern Israel on October 7, 2023. On that day, more than 1,200 people were killed and hundreds abducted into Gaza. Hamas’s actions drew global condemnation, but the DSA issued a statement framing the attack as “a direct result of Israel’s apartheid regime,” as reported by The Algemeiner.

The following day, October 8, the organization publicly encouraged its supporters to attend an “All Out for Palestine” rally in Manhattan. That event drew criticism after speakers justified Hamas’s actions and waved the group’s flags.

In January 2024, DSA escalated its position further, issuing a statement demanding an “end to diplomatic and military support of Israel.” Three months later, in April, the group’s international committee (DSA IC) released a statement defending Iran’s “right to self-defense” against Israel — a position that The Algemeiner report observed mirrored Tehran’s own anti-Israel rhetoric. Iran has been a principal backer of Hamas, providing weapons, training, and funding, and its leaders have repeatedly called for the destruction of the Jewish state.

The resolution’s passage also coincides with the political rise of New York City’s Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani, a high-profile DSA member and one of the most outspoken critics of Israel in American public life. Mamdani, who represents a Queens district in the state Assembly, has labeled Israel an “apartheid state,” endorsed boycotts of Israeli cultural and academic institutions, and opposed the city’s participation in trade delegations to Israel.

As The Algemeiner has reported, Mamdani’s ascendancy has energized the DSA’s anti-Zionist faction, providing a prominent political figure whose platform aligns closely with the principles enshrined in the new resolution. Observers note that his candidacy may test how far the DSA’s hardline stance can translate into electoral success in a major U.S. city.

Central to the resolution is the explicit endorsement of the Thawabit, a doctrine that The Algemeiner report explained has been foundational to Palestinian nationalist movements for decades. The “right of return” provision alone — which envisions the resettlement of millions of Palestinians and their descendants into Israel — is widely regarded by Israeli leaders and many international observers as incompatible with the continued existence of Israel as a Jewish-majority state.

The call for Jerusalem to serve as a Palestinian capital, combined with explicit support for “resistance,” further situates the DSA’s position in alignment with the maximalist demands of groups such as Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, both of which reject Israel’s legitimacy in any borders.

Inside the convention hall, debate over the resolution was heated. The Algemeiner reported that supporters characterized it as a necessary statement of solidarity with Palestinians “under occupation,” while opponents within the DSA warned that its disciplinary provisions could suppress dissent and foster a culture of ideological conformity.

Outside the DSA, Jewish organizations and pro-Israel advocacy groups expressed alarm. They argued that the resolution’s language, particularly its endorsement of “resistance,” could be interpreted as legitimizing violent attacks on civilians. They also noted the timing of the vote, coming less than two years after the deadliest assault on Jews since the Holocaust.

While the DSA’s influence within the Democratic Party is limited by its size, its positions often resonate in progressive political spaces, shaping discourse among activist networks and local political campaigns. The Algemeiner has documented how the group’s endorsements can boost insurgent candidates in Democratic primaries, particularly in urban districts where turnout is driven by activist mobilization.

Some political analysts believe the resolution could deepen existing rifts within the Democratic coalition, making it harder for the party to maintain a unified foreign policy stance. Others suggest that the DSA’s explicit embrace of Thawabit principles may push centrist and moderate-progressive voters further away from its endorsed candidates.

The practical impact of the resolution remains to be seen, particularly regarding the expulsion provisions. Enforcing ideological purity on contentious foreign policy issues could provoke internal disputes and potential membership losses, even as it consolidates the group’s identity among committed anti-Zionists.

For now, the resolution stands as the clearest articulation yet of the DSA’s stance on Israel and Palestine — one that not only rejects the legitimacy of Israel’s foundational principles, but also seeks to remove from its ranks anyone who publicly affirms them.

As debates over Israel and Palestine continue to roil U.S. politics, the DSA’s move signals that for a growing faction of the American left, anti-Zionism is no longer just a matter of policy disagreement — it is an enforceable litmus test for participation in their movement.