Top House Democrat rejects bill ending aid to Israel but calls for pressure on Jerusalem

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries vows to oppose legislation that would cut off US aid to Israel’s military.

By World Israel News Staff

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said he will vote against an amendment seeking to eliminate billions of dollars in US assistance to Israel, while calling for a fundamental restructuring of the relationship once the countries’ current military-aid agreement expires.

The New York Democrat announced his position in a letter to House colleagues ahead of a possible vote on the amendment as early as Wednesday. The measure was introduced by Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky and is supported by Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna of California.

The amendment would prohibit money in the fiscal 2027 National Security, Department of State and Related Programs appropriations bill from going to Israel.

Its primary target is the $3.3 billion in annual US Foreign Military Financing that Israel uses to purchase American weapons and military equipment. However, because the amendment contains no exception for nonmilitary spending, critics say it could also halt money for US diplomatic operations, humanitarian programs and regional peace initiatives.

Jeffries called the amendment “overly broad,” arguing that it could interfere with humanitarian assistance, refugee resettlement, peace-building programs and operations at the US Embassy in Jerusalem.

He also warned that the proposal could weaken American efforts against Hamas, Hezbollah and other armed organizations that threaten both the United States and Israel.

Jeffries said he believed more targeted measures could be used to pressure Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government. He accused Republican leaders of allowing a vote on an amendment most of them oppose in an attempt to deepen divisions among Democrats.

Despite announcing his own opposition, Jeffries said Democratic leaders would not formally pressure members to vote against the amendment. Lawmakers would instead be permitted to vote according to their individual views.

Jeffries called for a “major reset” in American policy, accusing Netanyahu’s government of isolating Israel internationally, damaging its standing in the United States, weakening regional normalization efforts and undermining prospects for an Israeli-Palestinian settlement.

Jeffries said any revised policy should rest on continued support for Israel’s existence as a Jewish and democratic state alongside strong American backing for an independent Palestinian state.

He also called for Gaza to be rebuilt and modernized, for humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians to be increased and for Hamas to be disarmed and removed from power.

Jeffries endorsed sanctions and criminal accountability for Israelis accused of violence against Palestinians in Judea and Samaria. He also described settlement expansion as illegal under international law.

The most significant change proposed in his letter concerned the future of direct American military financing for Israel.

The current 10-year memorandum of understanding, signed during the Obama administration, runs through fiscal 2028. It committed the United States to provide Israel with $38 billion over a decade, consisting of $33 billion in Foreign Military Financing and $5 billion for missile defense programs.

“A meaningful change in direction is needed,” Jeffries wrote.

“Israel has an advanced economy and is capable of paying for its own sophisticated weapons,” he added.

Jeffries suggested that any agreement replacing the current memorandum should resemble US defense relationships with other Western allies rather than continuing large annual grants for weapons purchases.

At the same time, he said a future arrangement should preserve Israel’s qualitative military advantage over regional adversaries and expand mutually beneficial cooperation on defense technology, research and missile interception systems such as Iron Dome, Arrow and David’s Sling.

The Massie amendment would not eliminate the separate $500 million generally provided each year for joint US-Israeli missile defense programs because that funding is contained in the defense legislation rather than in the State Department appropriations bill.

Massie, a libertarian Republican and longtime opponent of foreign aid, said Jeffries was allowing Democrats to vote according to their consciences even though the minority leader would oppose the amendment himself.

The Kentucky lawmaker also falsely accused Israel of committing genocide in the Gaza Strip.

“My conscience is clear. I will vote against using American tax dollars to fund genocide,” Massie said.

The amendment is not expected to pass because most House Republicans remain strongly supportive of aid to Israel. Even if approved by the House, it would face formidable opposition in the Senate.