Scott Galloway clashes with Abdul El-Sayed over Gaza genocide claim
A public fight over whether to call Israel's war in Gaza a genocide has become a loyalty test inside the Democratic Party, and it is bad news for candidates trying to dodge the question.
- Scott Galloway pressed Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed on calling Gaza a genocide, saying the word choice should disqualify him.
- The legal definition covers acts meant to destroy a group "in whole or in part" — a phrase critics say Galloway left out.
- A United Nations commission found last year that Israel committed genocide in Gaza, citing statements by Israeli officials alongside the conduct of its forces.
- Polling puts 40% of American Jews in the same camp, so treating the label as disqualifying cuts off a large share of the party's own base.
- Israeli genocide scholar Amos Goldberg says most experts who have spoken out agree, including leading Holocaust historians and legal authorities.
Outlook: Expect the genocide label to keep splitting Democratic primaries, with candidates who refuse to use it facing a hostile younger and progressive electorate.