Harvard law professor emeritus and "lifelong Democrat" Alan Dershowitz said he's switching political parties and becoming a Republican because Democrats are "the most anti-Israel party in U.S. history."
In a Wall Street Journal opinion column, the 87-year-old Dershowitz, who has spent decades aligned with the Democratic Party, said the party's shift on Israel policy has pushed him to make the dramatic change after 67 years as a registered Democrat.
"The Democratic Party has become the most anti-Israel party in U.S. history," Dershowitz wrote, pointing to recent votes by Senate Democrats supporting an arms embargo on Israel and the rise of candidates he described as hostile to the Jewish state.
Dershowitz, a prominent constitutional scholar who defended President Donald Trump during his first impeachment trial in January 2020, said the party's evolving stance reflects a broader and troubling ideological shift.
"I believe that the Democratic Party's hostility to Israel represents a deeper and more dangerous shift away from the center and toward a radical approach that is bad for America and the free world," Dershowitz wrote.
While acknowledging he still disagrees with Republicans on issues such as abortion, immigration, and healthcare, Dershowitz said foreign policy, particularly support for Israel, has become a decisive factor.
He warned that the Democratic Party's "hard left, anti-Israel wing" has moved from the political fringe into the mainstream, influencing policy and public opinion across age groups.
Dershowitz also argued that younger, more ideologically driven voters have helped accelerate the party's leftward shift, a trend he said is increasingly reflected in national polling.
In contrast, he described antisemitism within the Republican Party as remaining largely on the fringe, rather than shaping the party's core agenda.
Dershowitz said he plans to actively support Republican candidates, including contributing financially and campaigning on their behalf. He also urged other pro-Israel voters to reconsider their political affiliations.
"I will vote Republican for representative, senator and president," Dershowitz wrote, adding that his goal is to send a clear message to Democrat leadership.
He expressed hope that electoral consequences could eventually push Democrats back toward the political center, though he acknowledged having skepticism.
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