DNC to form task force on Israel-Hamas stance after split vote

The Democratic National Committee on Tuesday walked back a narrowly decided stance on the Israel-Hamas war after a fractious debate at its summer meeting, with party leaders saying they will form a task force to seek consensus rather than adopt an immediate position. The dispute unfolded as more than 400 DNC members met this week in Minneapolis; some reports misidentified the site as Aurora, Illinois.

Two competing resolutions came before the DNC Resolutions Committee. One, introduced by 26-year-old Florida DNC member Allison Minnerly, called for an immediate ceasefire, an arms embargo and suspension of U.S. military aid to Israel. The other, put forward by DNC Chair Ken Martin, called for a ceasefire, the unconditional release of hostages, unfettered humanitarian access to Gaza and reaffirmed support for a two-state solution. Martin's measure initially won committee approval while Minnerly's was defeated.

Minutes after those votes, however, Martin surprised delegates by withdrawing his resolution and urging the body to form a task force of stakeholders from across the party to continue deliberations. "As we've seen, there is a divide in our party on this issue," Martin said,...