Carville Warns Anti-Israel Activists Could Hurt Democrats Electorally

Democratic strategist James Carville warned Wednesday that anti-Israel activists aligned with Democrats could damage the party politically. He insisted that most antisemites are not Democrats.

Carville made the comments on Jim Acosta's podcast. He said he fears the divide over Israel and antisemitism could hurt Democrats electorally and morally if the party seems to tolerate hatred.

"This antisemitic stuff, it’s sickening man! It’s a real problem," Carville said. "It’s not a made-up problem. It’s a real, real, real definitely problem, and it’s getting worse."

He argued that while some anti-Israel activists align with Democrats, most are not party members. That holds despite public perceptions linking them to Democrats during campus protests over the Israel-Hamas war.

"And the fact that there are some Democratic-aligned people, most of them are not Democrats, all right?" Carville said.

"That’s when it would drive me crazy, when they were protesting Joe Biden at Columbia, and we thought they were saying, ‘Hey, hey, ho ho, genocide Joe must go.’ And the Democrats were getting blamed for that. A lot of these people are not Democrats. Understand that."

Carville also warned that the loudest anti-Israel voices drown out the broader party.

"I don’t want to be part of a political party that tolerates hatred, or sometimes encourages it," he said.

"I don’t think that’s where the majority of Democrats are, to be fair, but certainly not where the majority Democratic officeholders are," he added. "But these loudmouths are getting heard above everybody else. And this is not a good idea. This is a terrible idea."

Democrats continue to face internal divisions over Israel after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terror attack and Israel's military response in Gaza. The issue has sparked college campus protests and disputes within the Democratic coalition over U.S. support for Israel.

Carville, a longtime supporter of Israel, said criticism of the Israeli government should not mix with hostility toward the country or Jewish people.

"Attack the government of Israel all you want to. I don’t like it. I can’t stand it," he said. "But I like the state of Israel. You can’t conflate the regime with the people."

Carville lamented failed past peace efforts in the Middle East. He said reconciliation remains possible.

"I love Israel. I don’t get it," he said. "And I don’t have anything against them. I like Palestinian people. That’s some of the nicest people I know."