DSA Chief Calls for One-State Palestine as Romer Says October 7 Attack Was “Largely Inevitable”

A stunning interview with Democratic Socialists of America national co-chair Megan Romer has ignited a new political firestorm after she described the organization’s vision of a “free Palestine” with Jerusalem as its capital as a position that could be understood as a one-state solution—while also saying she probably would have attended a pro-Hamas demonstration held…

A stunning interview with Democratic Socialists of America national co-chair Megan Romer has ignited a new political firestorm after she described the organization’s vision of a “free Palestine” with Jerusalem as its capital as a position that could be understood as a one-state solution—while also saying she probably would have attended a pro-Hamas demonstration held in New York just one day after the October 7, 2023, massacre. The interview, conducted by New Yorker editor David Remnick and published August 10, 2026, placed the DSA’s increasingly influential leadership under an unusually direct spotlight.

A One-State Solution?

Remnick asked Romer a straightforward question: Does the DSA support a two-state solution or a single binational state?

Her answer was striking.

“Our position is a free Palestine with the capital in Jerusalem,” Romer said.

She then acknowledged that the position could “safely” be interpreted as a one-state solution.

That distinction matters because a one-state arrangement in which Israel would no longer exist as a separate Jewish state would represent a fundamentally different political outcome from the traditional two-state framework involving an independent Israel and an independent Palestinian state.

The DSA’s current national program goes further than merely calling for Palestinian statehood. It calls for Palestinian self-determination in a “free Palestine with Jerusalem as its capital,” recognition of a Palestinian right of return, and an end to all U.S. military and economic aid to Israel.

The political implications are enormous.

For decades, American administrations of both parties have generally treated a negotiated settlement between Israelis and Palestinians as the preferred framework for resolving the conflict. Romer’s comments instead place the DSA firmly in a political camp that rejects continued American support for Israel and embraces a radically different vision for the region.

The Camp David Question

Remnick then raised the 2000 Camp David negotiations, when President Bill Clinton attempted to broker a final agreement between Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat.

Romer acknowledged that she did not know the details of the proposal and said she would need to review the specifics.

That exchange immediately became part of the controversy surrounding the interview.

The 2000 negotiations are among the most important episodes in the modern Israeli-Palestinian peace process. The precise territorial and security details of the proposals have been debated extensively, and the negotiations ultimately failed.

The Second Intifada subsequently erupted, bringing years of terrorism, military operations, bloodshed and political upheaval.

The larger issue raised by the interview, however, is not simply whether Romer knew the details of one historical negotiation.

It is whether a national political organization seeking greater influence in American politics can articulate what its preferred alternative would actually look like.

That question becomes particularly important when the proposed solution concerns one of the world’s most explosive geopolitical conflicts.

Romer’s Comments About October 7

The most explosive portion of the interview concerned the Hamas-led assault against Israel on October 7, 2023.

Approximately 1,200 people were killed and roughly 250 people were taken hostage during the attack, according to widely reported figures.

Remnick asked Romer about a pro-Hamas demonstration held in New York on October 8—one day after the attack.

Romer said she probably would have attended if she had been living in New York at the time.

When challenged about whether attending such a demonstration immediately following the massacre was appropriate, Romer argued that the October 7 attack was, in her words, “largely inevitable,” pointing to conditions imposed on Palestinians in Gaza as the underlying cause.

That distinction is at the heart of the backlash.

Critics argue that explaining the political conditions preceding a terrorist attack is one thing; describing the attack itself as inevitable risks transforming an explanation into a justification.

The New Yorker interview did not simply present Romer as an outside activist. She is a national co-chair of an organization that has become increasingly influential within the American political left. The New Yorker itself described the DSA as a growing force on the national political stage.

The DSA’s Israel Policy Is No Secret

One important point should not be lost amid the controversy: Romer’s statements did not emerge from nowhere.

The DSA’s published platform explicitly calls for ending U.S. military and economic aid to Israel.

Its program also advocates Palestinian self-determination in a free Palestine with Jerusalem as its capital, along with a Palestinian right of return.

The organization has also maintained campaigns aimed at stopping U.S. military supplies to Israel.

In June 2026, a DSA labor publication described its “Labor for an Arms Embargo” campaign as an effort to organize workers against shipments of U.S. military supplies to Israel.

This means the controversy is not simply about one poorly phrased interview answer.

Romer’s remarks are consistent with major portions of the organization’s publicly available foreign-policy program.

That makes the political implications considerably larger.

Scarborough Fires Back

The comments also drew criticism from MSNBC/MS NOW host Joe Scarborough, who has increasingly warned Democrats about the political risks associated with the DSA’s growing influence.

Scarborough compared supporting a pro-Hamas rally immediately after October 7 to attending a pro-al-Qaeda rally immediately after September 11.

His broader argument was that Democratic leaders risk allowing the most radical elements of the socialist movement to define the Democratic Party in the eyes of voters.

That concern comes at a politically significant moment.

The DSA has expanded its electoral footprint, while candidates associated with democratic socialism have achieved important victories in Democratic primaries and urban elections.

The New Yorker noted that DSA-backed candidates are increasingly active in congressional and state-level races.

The question is therefore no longer whether democratic socialism exists on the margins of American politics.

It is whether the movement can become a significant force inside the Democratic coalition.

A Larger Battle Inside the Democratic Party

The DSA’s current political program is considerably broader than Israel and Palestine.

Its platform calls for dramatic changes to the federal government, including eliminating the Senate, replacing the current presidential system, restructuring the judiciary, abolishing ICE, ending deportations, radically reducing military spending and expanding public ownership of major sectors of the economy.

That agenda has already generated concern among establishment Democrats who fear that DSA candidates could push the party further to the left than voters in competitive districts are willing to accept.

The Israel issue could become one of the most politically explosive parts of that debate.

For decades, Democratic and Republican administrations alike have maintained a close strategic relationship with Israel.

The DSA platform represents a dramatic departure from that tradition.

The Question Americans Need to Ask

The controversy surrounding Megan Romer ultimately raises a larger question:

What would American foreign policy look like if the DSA’s worldview became mainstream Democratic policy?

Would Washington continue recognizing Israel as a sovereign Jewish state?

Would American military assistance end?

Would U.S. security cooperation with Israel disappear?

Would Washington support a one-state political arrangement?

And if so, what would happen to the millions of Israelis living between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River?

Those are not theoretical questions.

They go directly to the future of one of the most strategically important regions on earth.

Romer’s interview forced those questions into the open.

News Watchmen Analysis: The Political Center Is Moving

The most significant part of this story may not be one sentence from Megan Romer.

It may be the fact that someone holding national leadership in the DSA is now being interviewed by one of America’s most prominent political publications because the organization has become important enough that its ideas can no longer be dismissed as fringe politics.

That is a major shift.

The DSA is attempting to move from protest politics into electoral power.

And with that transition comes a much more important responsibility: explaining exactly what the movement wants to build.

On Israel, the answer is becoming increasingly clear.

The DSA’s current program calls for a free Palestine with Jerusalem as its capital, Palestinian right of return, and the termination of U.S. military and economic aid to Israel.

Whether Americans believe that represents liberation, coexistence, or the elimination of Israel as a separate state will remain one of the most fiercely contested political questions of the coming years.

But voters deserve to understand the consequences before they cast their ballots.

A Prophetic Perspective: Why Jerusalem Matters

For Christians who follow Bible prophecy, the dispute over Jerusalem carries significance far beyond ordinary political boundaries.

Scripture repeatedly places Jerusalem at the center of conflicts involving Israel and the nations.

Zechariah 12:3 declares:

“And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people.”

The significance of that passage should not be exaggerated into a claim that every modern political development represents a specific prophetic fulfillment.

But the continuing struggle over Jerusalem is impossible to ignore.

Israel remains at the center of international controversy.

Jerusalem remains one of the most disputed cities on earth.

And political movements inside the United States are increasingly debating whether Israel should continue to exist as a distinct Jewish nation-state.

For Christians watching these developments, the appropriate response is not panic.

It is discernment.

Jesus warned that wars and rumors of wars would occur, but also instructed His followers not to be frightened by them (Matthew 24:6).

The Middle East remains one of the places where history, geopolitics and biblical prophecy intersect in ways that deserve careful attention.

Conclusion: The Debate Has Moved Into the Mainstream

Megan Romer’s interview has triggered controversy because she said out loud what the DSA’s own platform makes increasingly difficult to dismiss as merely rhetorical.

The organization supports a “free Palestine” with Jerusalem as its capital, calls for ending U.S. military and economic aid to Israel, and embraces Palestinian self-determination and right of return.

Romer’s additional statement that she probably would have attended an October 8 pro-Hamas demonstration—and her characterization of October 7 as “largely inevitable”—has intensified the controversy.

The Democratic Socialists of America is no longer simply a small activist organization operating outside the political mainstream.

Its candidates are winning elections.

Its platform is receiving national attention.

And its leaders are increasingly appearing on major media outlets to explain what the movement believes.

That means Americans are going to have to decide for themselves whether the DSA represents the future of the Democratic Party—or a political direction that voters will ultimately reject.

One thing, however, is becoming increasingly difficult to deny:

The battle over Israel, Palestine and Jerusalem is becoming a battle inside American politics itself.

Related News Watchmen Coverage

Readers following the growing political and geopolitical debate surrounding Israel, Palestine and the American left may also want to read:

Democratic Socialists of America Unveil Sweeping Proposal to Reshape the Federal Government — Examines the DSA’s broader national platform and its proposals for transforming the American political system.
Mamdani Revokes Adams’ Antisemitism Orders in First Act as NYC Mayor — Looks at the controversy surrounding New York City’s changing approach to Israel, antisemitism and BDS.
NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani Says He Is Reviewing Whether Netanyahu Could Be Arrested During UN Visit — Examines another major clash between New York’s political leadership and Israel.
Trump Administration Blasts Netanyahu As A ‘Madman’ Over Gaza and Syria Strikes — Explores tensions between the Trump administration and Israeli leadership over Middle East policy.
Not a Coincidence: Third Blood Moon Eclipse Falls on Purim as Middle East War Intensifies — Examines the continuing Middle East conflict through News Watchmen’s prophetic perspective.

Frequently Asked Questions

What did Megan Romer say about a Palestinian state?
Romer said the DSA supports a free Palestine with Jerusalem as its capital and acknowledged that the position could be understood as a one-state solution.

Does the DSA currently support U.S. military aid to Israel?
No. The DSA’s current program calls for ending U.S. military and economic aid to Israel.

What did Romer say about October 7?
She described the Hamas-led attack as “largely inevitable” in the context of conditions imposed on Palestinians in Gaza and said she probably would have attended a pro-Hamas rally held in New York the following day.

Does the DSA support a two-state solution?
The DSA’s current program does not present its Israel-Palestine position as a conventional two-state solution. It calls for a free Palestine with Jerusalem as its capital and Palestinian self-determination.

Why is the DSA becoming more politically significant?
The organization has expanded its electoral activity and is increasingly connected to candidates running for congressional, state and local offices. The New Yorker described socialism and DSA-backed candidates as an increasingly visible force in the 2026 election cycle.

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