CNN Democratic debate in New York: news and updates

Bernie Sanders did something previously unheard of in last night’s CNN debate: He stood up for Palestinians’ humanity.

For many, this seems banal: Sanders is asserting that the US needs to understand Israeli and Palestinian beliefs to ultimately resolve the conflict.

When American presidential candidates debate foreign policy, they tend to talk about precisely two things: terrorism and the Israel-Palestine conflict. And on the latter, the politics of the issue tend to constrain that debate to a pretty narrow range.

Democratic candidates usually argue that their understanding of and commitment to addressing Israeli concerns will help them bring about peace, which they position as necessary because it will help Israel.