Albany County, New York

Albany County Young Democrats, a group representing party members ages 16 to 35, is facing pushback from Democratic Party leaders after a Sept. 3 statement accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government of committing "a genocide and gross violations of international law" against Palestinians in Gaza. The statement also condemned the occupation of the West Bank and denial of civil and political rights in occupied territories, and criticized the national Democratic Party for downplaying the issue's importance to Americans.

New York State Democratic Committee Chair Jay Jacobs rejected the "genocide" characterization as inaccurate, though he said Israel has not done enough to protect civilians. He also faulted the statement for omitting the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack that killed roughly 1,200 people and took 251 hostages, which triggered the war; Gaza's Health Ministry has reported more than 73,000 Palestinian deaths since. Albany County Democratic Committee Chair Jake Crawford separately distanced his organization from the Young Democrats, saying they are unaffiliated. The Young Democrats defended their position as consistent with their national parent organization's platform, underscoring a broader Democratic rift over Israel policy heading into upcoming elections.