Democrats Shift Away From Israel as Majority Back Aid Cut

More than 100 House Democrats voted to eliminate $3.3 billion in annual assistance, exposing a widening rupture over the party’s traditional support for the Jewish state

by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief

WASHINGTON, D.C. (Worthy News) – A majority of House Democrats casting a yes-or-no vote Wednesday supported cutting off funds designated for Israel, marking one of the clearest signs yet that the Democratic Party is shifting away from its longstanding support for the Jewish state.

The House rejected the amendment in a 104-314 vote, with 10 lawmakers voting present and nine not voting. Yet beneath the amendment’s decisive defeat was a dramatic partisan divide: 103 Democrats voted for the measure, 98 opposed it, and 10 voted present. Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, who introduced the amendment, was the only Republican to support it.

The vote meant that more than half of House Democrats who took a definitive position supported eliminating the annual $3.3 billion in U.S. military financing for Israel. A similar effort two years earlier reportedly received support from only 37 Democrats, underscoring how rapidly opposition to Israel has gained ground within the party.

Massie’s amendment to H.R. 8595, the National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Appropriations Act for fiscal year 2027, would have prohibited funds in the legislation from being used for Israel. It also would have reduced the Foreign Military Financing program by $3.3 billion—the amount designated for the Jewish state.

Democratic Leadership Divided

The vote fractured the highest levels of Democratic leadership.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York and Democratic Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar of California opposed the amendment. Democratic Whip Katherine Clark of Massachusetts, however, voted for it, as did former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California.

Jeffries described the amendment as “overly broad,” warning that it could affect humanitarian assistance, refugee resettlement, peace-building programs and operations at the U.S. Embassy.

“There are more decisive ways to achieve the urgent change necessary when it comes to the far-right Netanyahu government,” Jeffries wrote in a letter to Democratic lawmakers. He also accused Republicans of advancing an amendment they did not support in an attempt to exploit Democratic divisions.

Jeffries nevertheless called for a significant change in U.S. policy toward Israel, reflecting how even Democratic lawmakers who opposed the amendment are placing increasing distance between themselves and Jerusalem.

Clark acknowledged that the proposal was flawed and accused Republicans of seeking “cheap political points,” but said she supported it because the existing relationship with Israel was no longer sustainable.

“We should not provide a blank check for military aid to any country that does not comply with U.S. law, interests, and values,” Clark said. “The Netanyahu government has failed to meet that standard.”

Pelosi Backs Symbolic Break With Israel

Pelosi also conceded that the amendment was poorly constructed but said she voted for it because of the political message it would send.

The former speaker said she remained committed to a strong U.S.-Israel relationship and a two-state solution but argued that American policy must change to achieve what she called “a just and lasting peace in the Middle East.”

“The American people are rightly demanding an end to a perpetual cycle of war, and the Netanyahu government cannot maintain its current course,” Pelosi said. “Therefore, while this amendment is ill-conceived, I vote yes for the message that it sends.”

Pelosi’s vote was particularly significant because of her decades-long role in Democratic leadership and her history of publicly supporting the U.S.-Israel alliance.

The 10 Democrats who voted present were Reps. Ami Bera of California, Shontel Brown of Ohio, Janelle Bynum of Oregon, Sarah Elfreth of Maryland, Jared Huffman of California, Betty McCollum of Minnesota, Kelly Morrison of Minnesota, Chris Pappas of New Hampshire, Linda Sánchez of California and Mike Thompson of California.

Israel Becomes Democratic Fault Line

Although the amendment had little chance of passage, it served as a revealing test of where Democrats now stand on Israel.

Progressive activists and anti-Israel organizations have placed growing pressure on Democratic lawmakers to condition or terminate military assistance, particularly since the Hamas-led massacre in southern Israel on October 7, 2023, and the war that followed in Gaza.

The amendment did not distinguish narrowly between particular Israeli military operations or weapons programs. Instead, it would have prohibited funds in the entire appropriations bill from being used for Israel—one reason even some lawmakers calling for changes in policy opposed it.

Nevertheless, the willingness of 103 Democrats—including members of senior party leadership—to support such a sweeping measure represents a significant political development. Support for Israel, once a broadly bipartisan foundation of American foreign policy, is increasingly becoming a defining fault line within the Democratic Party.

The amendment failed because Republicans remained overwhelmingly united against it. The wider question raised by Wednesday’s vote, however, is whether that bipartisan foundation can survive as Democratic voters and lawmakers continue moving away from Israel.

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