Prominent lawyer Alan Dershowitz announced his departure from the Democratic Party in an interview with Zev Brenner on “Talkline” on August 23. He cited the presence of “anti-Semitic” members within the party and dissatisfaction with the recent Democratic National Convention (DNC) as reasons for his departure.

Dershowitz pointed to the Democratic National Convention's decision to give a platform to anti-Israel speakers and cited anti-Israel protesters outside the convention. “It was the most anti-Semitic, anti-Israel, anti-Zionist convention I've ever been to,” Dershowitz said in an interview. “I'm disgusted by the Democratic National Convention. I'm disgusted by it.” (Related article: 'We're in Banana Republic Land': Alan Dershowitz says judge should delay Trump's sentencing)

Dershowitz, who currently identifies as an independent, said he hasn't yet decided who he will vote for in the next presidential election, and will likely decide after November 1. “I want to see how they deal with Iran. I want to urge the current administration to support Israel,” he said.

The Harvard Law School professor emeritus stressed that his decision to leave the Democratic Party was not a sudden reaction, but was made gradually, and that Vice President Harris' absence during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech to Congress had a major impact on his decision.

Dershowitz also named Democrats seen as anti-Israel, including Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders and the Rev. Al Sharpton, as well as anti-Israel protesters at the Democratic National Convention who called for the destruction of Israel, saying, “That's not my party.”