US support for Israel: Congressional vote shows growing rift

US support for Israel

The unthinkable is about to happen

The USA has been supporting Israel with billions for decades – but resistance is growing in Congress. A vote shows how deep the rift now runs.

A fundamental issue in relations will be discussed in the US House of Representatives on Wednesday Israel been agreed. The United States has supported the country financially and militarily for decades. There is around 3.3 billion for this in the current budget US dollars provided. Some of the Democrats now wanted to completely cancel these funds.

The amendment was introduced by Republican Representative Thomas Massie, one of the most vocal critics of Israel in Congress. In doing so, he went against his own party: the motion failed with 104 votes to 314, with ten MPs abstaining. Massie was the only Republican to vote in favor. He received support almost exclusively from the Democrats, with 103 MPs voting for the proposal and 98 against it. The vote highlights a profound change within the Democratic Party that could become even more pronounced after the midterm elections in November.

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According to the New York Times, some MPs rejected cutting humanitarian aid. At the same time, however, they no longer saw any possibility of justifying continued military aid to the Israeli government. Representative Seth Moulton of Massachusetts, long considered a reliable supporter of Israel, said: “We can no longer tolerate Netanyahu’s actions that violate our moral conscience and our own national security interests by maintaining the status quo.”

The focus of the criticism is primarily on the actions of the Israeli government Gaza Strip after the Hamas terrorist attack on October 7, 2023. Human rights organizations, scientists and an independent United Nations investigative commission have accused Israel of genocide or have documented evidence of this. The accusation is being legally examined by the International Court of Justice in The Hague. However, it could still be years before a final verdict is reached.

The vote in the House of Representatives reflects a trend that has long been apparent at the base of the Democratic Party. Support for Israel has fallen to historic lows in the United States. In a statement published in May Opinion poll According to the New York Times and Siena College, 74 percent of Democratic voters rejected additional military and economic support for Israel. Only 20 percent were in favor of it.

An April survey by the Pew Research Center also found that 60 percent of Americans view Israel negatively. 59 percent had little or no trust in the Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu makes the right decisions in international affairs.