Washington, July 16 (V7N) — More than 100 Democratic lawmakers in the United States House of Representatives voted in favour of stopping billions of dollars in military assistance to Israel, highlighting a growing policy divide within the Democratic Party over Washington’s support for Israel.
The vote took place on Wednesday during consideration of an amendment introduced by Republican Representative Thomas Massie, a known critic of President Donald Trump. Although the amendment was ultimately defeated, the vote revealed increasing divisions among Democrats over US military support for Israel.
The amendment was rejected by a vote of 104-314, but 103 Democrats and one Republican voted in favour of ending the military assistance. Meanwhile, 98 Democrats voted against the measure, while 10 Democrats voted “present,” according to congressional records.
The vote also exposed differences among Democratic leaders. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Representative Pete Aguilar voted against the amendment, while Democratic Whip Katherine Clark supported it.
Progressive Democrats welcomed the vote as a significant shift in the party’s position, noting that it was the first time a majority of House Democrats had backed an effort to stop billions of dollars in military aid to Israel.
Just two years ago, during a similar vote, only 37 Democratic lawmakers supported ending US military assistance to Israel.
Following the vote, Democratic Representative Greg Casar, chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, described the outcome as a historic moment.
“Think about this for just a moment. Starting today, a majority of Democrats in this chamber have refused to vote for sending billions of dollars in weapons to the Israeli military,” Casar said.
He added that the vote sent a strong message to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the era of providing unconditional support for his government’s military actions had ended, at least among Democrats.
“I believe that after this historic vote, nothing will be the same on this issue,” Casar said.
To avoid a deeper internal conflict within the party, Democratic leaders did not issue formal voting instructions and allowed lawmakers to vote according to their own judgment.
Clark, who voted in favour of the amendment, acknowledged that the Republican proposal had flaws because it would also have restricted humanitarian assistance to Palestinians in Gaza. However, she said she supported it to send a strong message that countries violating US laws and values should not receive military support.
Democratic Representative Jared Huffman, who voted “present,” said the vote reflected a growing desire among many Democrats for a major shift in US policy toward the Middle East.
The vote comes amid increasing debate within the United States over Washington’s military and diplomatic support for Israel during its ongoing conflict in Gaza.
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