My latest for Mondoweiss examines Tim Walz’s record on Palestine, both while in Congress and while serving as governor of Minnesota. I was disturbed enough to write this piece after seeing far too many folks (including some who should know better) extol the virtues of Walz while glossing over his (very) pro-Israel record over the entirety of his political career.

Walz can be fairly characterized as a reliable pro-Israel Democrat who has consistently voted for and taken positions in support of Israel. While in Congress between 2007 and 2018, he supported every Israeli war on Gaza, rejected the international consensus on the illegality of settlements in the West Bank, and opposed any unilateral declaration of a Palestinian state, preferring instead to pay lip service to a “negotiated peace” while Israel continued colonizing the West Bank unimpeded. As governor, although Walz has called for a “working ceasefire” regarding Gaza, he has taken no meaningful policy positions that could put an end to the genocide, and has rebuffed attempts by pro-Palestine anti-genocide protesters to divest Minnesota’s pension funds from companies that contribute to Israel’s violations of human rights.

It’s no surprise then, that he is supported by a variety of organizations that are a part of the Israeli lobby. Marc Mellman, President of Democratic Majority for Israel, praised Walz’s selection and said that he was “a proud pro-Israel Democrat with a strong record of supporting the U.S.-Israel relationship”, while J-Street (who had previously endorsed him), said that “we know the Harris-Walz team will stand up for our shared values, protect our community, and pursue smart, pro-Israel, pro-peace leadership abroad. We’re all in.”

In summary, this man is not a friend of Palestine. Be wary of people who try to minimize this inconvenient fact.