Democrats are speaking out to oppose a House GOP effort aimed at exposing their divisions on Israel, as the party moves to align with President Biden, who has threatened to veto the measure, and with its own leaders who oppose it.
Democrats speaking out say they are tired of Republicans using Israel as a political cudgel, promising to oppose a measure aimed at forcing the delivery of certain weapons to Israel that Biden is withholding.
“I will speak for myself as an American Jew: I am tired of Republicans using Israel and anti-Semitism as a political pawn. We are not political pawns,” said Representative Dan Goldman, a prominent Jewish Democrat from New York.
“It is bad for Israel if Congress is divided; It’s bad for Israel – it’s bad for the Jews – if there are these “gotcha” political resolutions on anti-Semitism. And I’m tired of being used as a political pawn by Republicans.”
Rep. Brad Schneider (D-Ill.), another vocal ally of Israel, delivered a similar message about the GOP move and Biden’s decision to pause certain weapons, an effort intended to dissuade Israeli leaders from advancing on Rafah, where more than a million Palestinian refugees have gathered amid Israel’s war with Hamas.
The administration “was wrong to withhold the shipment” of weapons, he said. But Biden has also committed to standing with Israel until Hamas is defeated — an effort that will be compromised by the Republican bill, Schneider added.
“President Biden has been clear: Israel has to defeat Hamas, but it has to do so in a way that not only protects Israel’s borders, but creates a path to secure Israel’s future and the future of all people in Israel. region,” said Schneider. . “And this bill moves us backward, not forward.”
Some Democrats are no doubt expected to support the legislation, which calls for a reversal of Biden’s control over the delivery of some weapons to Israel and condemns the administration for instituting the pause.
Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) said Wednesday that he is “inclined” to vote on the bill but is “still thinking about it.” And Rep. Greg Landsman (D-Ohio) told The Hill on Thursday that he will support the legislation.
But the number of lawmakers joining that pair is expected to be much lower than the double-digit number initially anticipated, a decrease fueled by Biden’s veto threat; Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s (DN.Y.) announcement that the upper chamber will not consider the House bill; House Democratic leaders criticizing the measure; and news this week that, coinciding with the freeze on certain weapons, the Biden administration plans to move forward with a billion-dollar arms deal with Israel.
Last week, 26 House Democrats wrote a letter to National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan saying they were “deeply concerned” about the message the administration was sending to Hamas and other terrorist proxies backed by Iran through its arms dominance. .
“With democracy under attack around the world, we cannot undermine our ally Israel, especially in its time of greatest need,” the Democrats said.he wrote.
But some of the pro-Israel signatories have since spoken out against the legislation – like Schneider – or cast doubt on its importance. That opposition has dealt a blow to Republican leaders who have tried tirelessly to fracture Democrats during the war between Israel and Hamas, which has emerged as a divisive issue for the caucus and a key vulnerability for the president heading into the November elections.
Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Florida), who represents a Florida district with a large Jewish population, said he wasn’t sure how he would vote, but argued that the bill has “all kinds of problems” and would define “all kinds of terrible precedents” and is “irrelevant” since the administration has said it is moving forward with a billion-dollar arms sale to Israel.
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Florida), similarly, called the bill “an unserious piece of legislation… that is cynically designed to divide people,” adding that despite her “concerns about [Biden’s] public discussion about the big bombs,” she is “very confident that the president and U.S.-Israeli cooperation have never been closer.”
But, she said, “I need to look at the bill, discuss it with my team and make a decision.”
The issue of funding for Israel has been controversial in the Democratic Caucus, where Israel’s closest allies have called for robust military support for Tel Aviv in the face of opposition from liberals who criticize Israel’s human rights record.
These divisions have intensified with the arrival of several Muslim lawmakers on Capitol Hill — including the first Palestinian woman — and Republicans have repeatedly sought to exploit these tensions with proposals that defend Israel and condemn anti-Semitism.
Still, House Democratic leaders predict few defections when the bill reaches the floor for a vote, saying members will largely unite against the legislation due to its “overly political” nature.
“We understand that there are different views within our own caucus on this,” Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.), chairman of the Democratic caucus, said Wednesday. “But the overwhelming majority of House Democrats will reject this overly political bill.”
House Minority Leader Katherine Clarke (D-Mass.) echoed that sentiment Thursday morning, telling The Hill that she expects Democrats to be largely united in opposition to the bill.
Voting is currently scheduled for 4:45 p.m. but could face a postponement as hardline conservatives rush back to Washington after attending former President Trump’s secret trial in Manhattan. With Democrats lining up against the bill and Republicans struggling with a slim majority, GOP leaders will need the bulk of their troops in the city to ensure the proposal passes.
While overwhelming Democratic opposition will deprive Republicans of their goal of dividing the caucus, it will almost certainly fuel GOP claims that Democrats and Biden are turning their backs on Israel in this time of need.
“This is a time when we need, not just the American people, but the entire world, moral clarity. You’re either with Israel or you’re not,” House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said during a press conference on the House steps Thursday morning. “If Schumer refuses to bring this to a vote, he will be telling the world that his party, the Democrats, are no longer willing to support our great ally.”
“I don’t think this is an acceptable position for the American people,” he added.
Johnson also rejected the Democratic argument that the bill is no longer necessary after the administration informed congressional leaders that it plans to move forward with a billion-dollar arms sale to Israel, calling that gesture a “trifle” and “decorate the window”.
“This is to try to give him political cover,” Johnson added.
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
