The split among Democrats over Israel has been further exposed through a vote in which half the party in the House of Representatives voted in support of a measure to strip the US ally of $3.3 billion in aid.
The 104-314 vote on a proposed amendment to a national security spending bill was not enough to approve it, but it is another indication of the growing divide in the Democratic Party over support for Israel.
“The tide is changing. Americans want their tax dollars to be spent improving things here at home, not waging war and genocide,” said Republican Thomas Massie, who proposed the amendment. He has frequently broken with President Donald Trump and the rest of his party to side with the Democrats over continued US support for Israel.
Wednesday's vote also illustrated a rare divide among Democratic leadership. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries voted against the measure, saying it was “overly broad”, while his deputy, Democratic Whip Katherine Clark, said she would support it.
The US typically provides Israel with about $3.8 billion in funding a year. Amid the war in Gaza and Israel's continuing attacks in Lebanon, however, a widening gap between the mainstream and the more progressive wings of the party have emerged.
In 2024, 37 mostly progressive Democrats in the House voted for a similar measure to cut aid to Israel.
“I cannot vote for aid to a country that committed genocide and has used tax dollars to detain Americans like me,” said Democratic Representative Ro Khanna.
Mr Khanna says he was detained by Israeli settlers and then soldiers during a visit to the occupied West Bank last week.
One surprise supporter was former speaker Nancy Pelosi, who said she would back the amendment to send a message that US voters are “demanding an end to a perpetual cycle of war and the Netanyahu government cannot maintain its current course”.
