Top House Democrats vow to oppose bid to cut US military aid to Israel

Key Points:

• Top House Democrats, including Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Pete Aguilar, announced opposition to a Republican-led amendment that would cut $3.3 billion in military aid to Israel, citing concerns over its broad impact on humanitarian aid and counterterrorism efforts.
• The amendment, proposed by Republican Thomas Massie, is being debated amid a wave of primary election challenges within the Democratic Party, driven by voter dissatisfaction with US support for Israel, particularly regarding Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government.
• Jeffries called for a "major reset" in US-Israel relations that balances Israel’s right to exist with the establishment of a Palestinian state and insists future aid agreements adhere to human rights standards.
• Recent primary defeats of Democratic incumbents in New York and Colorado, as well as ongoing challenges in Missouri and Michigan, reflect growing intra-party tensions over US policy on Israel following the 7 October attacks and subsequent military actions.
• Despite acknowledging the need for change in the US-Israel relationship, Democratic leaders emphasized that current leadership decisions are not influenced by the positions of incoming lawmakers elected in the recent primaries.