Several pro-Israel sections of the 2008 Democratic Party platform have been removed from the 2012 platformâon Jerusalem, Palestinian refugees, and Hamas. The new platform represents another shift by the Obama Democrats toward the Palestinian position on key issues in the peace process. For Jerusalem, the new platform has been brought into line with the Obama administrationâs policy of not recognizing Jerusalem as Israelâs capital and supporting its division. Jerusalem is unmentioned in the 2012 document, whereas the 2008 and 2004 Democratic Party platforms declared âJerusalem is and will remain the capital of Israelâ¦It should remain an undivided city accessible to people of all faiths.â The Obama administrationâs refusal to recognize Jerusalem has been a point of significant controversy in recent months. On the issue of Palestinian refugees, the new document has removed language from the 2004 and 2008 platforms specifying that Palestinian ârefugeesâ should be settled in a future Palestinian state, not in Israel. The 2004 platform: âThe creation of a Palestinian state should resolve the issue of Palestinian refugees by allowing them to settle there, rather than in Israel.â The 2008 platform: The peace process âshould resolve the issue of Palestinian refugees by allowing them to settle there, rather than in Israel.â The 2012 platform contains no language on the matter. Previously, Obama has incorporated the Palestinian positions on Jerusalem and borders into his administrationâs policies. It appears that with his partyâs new platform, he is also doing so with refugees. Gone as well is the language from 2008 on the terrorist group Hamas, which currently controls the Gaza Strip. That platform declared, âThe United States and its Quartet partners should continue to isolate Hamas until it renounces terrorism, recognizes Israelâs right to exist, and abides by past agreements.â The 2012 platform contains no mention of Hamas. Previous platforms also contained promises to maintain Israelâs âqualitative military edgeâ in the region. The 2008 platform, for example, spoke of a âcommitment which requires us to ensure that Israel retains a qualitative edge for its national security and its right to self-defense.â The 2012 platform mentions only that â[t]he administration has also worked to ensure Israelâs qualitative military edge in the region,â with no commitment to doing so in the future. http://freebeacon.com/pro-israel-language-removed-from-democratic-party-platform/