WATCH: Chaos at DNC as Obama seeks to declare Jerusalem Israel capital

The uniqueness of the American political system with regards to Israel/Palestine is a form of self-deception. The Republicans are clearly living on the moon, as many have yet to hear about the existence of Palestinians. But the Democratic elite is not much better, especially when elections are around the corner.

The Democrats’ post-trauma from President Obama’s early attempt at applying some feeble pressure on Israel over the issue of settlements was exposed at the Democratic National Convention last night. The party has been attacked by the Republicans for not including a recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital (read: occupied and segregated) in the party platform. A correction required the support of two-thirds of the delegates, and I guess Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who chaired the convention, thought it was a no-brainer.

But look what happens next (h/t EI):

Judging from the video, it seems that the change to the platform was endorsed without actually getting the necessary majority (my favorite part is the look on Villaraigosa’s face after the 1st and 2nd vote).

I don’t know what made the delegates on the floor oppose this AIPAC-style amendment, pushed personally by Obama. I hope that they have some idea about what Jerusalem really is: A city where one third of the residents – the Palestinians – do not have full voting rights, cannot buy property, and are under constant threat of losing their legal status. But maybe they were just upset with Netanyahu.

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