Over 100 House Democrats vote to end military aid to Israel in rebuke to US ally

People inspect damage and remove items from their homes following Israeli airstrikes on 7 April 2024 in Khan Yunis, Gaza. Photograph: Ahmad Hasaballah/Getty Images View image in fullscreen People inspect damage and remove items from their homes following Israeli airstrikes on 7 April 2024 in Khan Yunis, Gaza. Photograph: Ahmad Hasaballah/Getty Images Over 100 House Democrats vote to end military aid to Israel in rebuke to US ally Action underscores how sentiment in the party towards Israel and the Netanyahu government has soured More than 100 House Democrats on Wednesday voted to slash military aid to Israel, a significant rebuke of the longtime US ally as accusations that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government green-lit genocide in Gaza continue to convulse the party ahead of November’s midterm election. The amendment proposed by Republican congressman Thomas Massie to a spending measure would have halted $3.3bn in planned aid – much of which would have gone to Israel’s military – but was rejected by a 104-314 vote, with 10 lawmakers voting present. It received the support of 103 House Democrats, or nearly half of the 212-strong caucus, underscoring how sentiment in the party towards Israel and the Netanyahu government has soured since the 7 October attack and Israel’s subsequent invasion of Gaza. The provision resulted in an unusual split among top House Democrats, with minority leader Hakeem Jeffries and the caucus chair, Pete Aguilar, both saying they would vote against it. In a letter to members, Jeffries called Massie’s amendment “overly broad”, but said he would not formally try to persuade other Democrats to join him in opposition, citing “the strongly held views throughout the caucus in this important area of foreign policy”. On Wednesday, the House Democratic whip Katherine Clark said she would support Massie’s amendment, saying in a statement “it is clear that the status quo is not tenable. We should not provide a blank check for military aid to any country that does not comply with US law, interests, and values. The Netanyahu government has failed to meet that standard,” added Clark, the second-highest ranking House Democrat. She was joined by Robert Garcia, the Democratic ranking member on the high-profile oversight committee, who said: “Netanyahu, like Donald Trump, is a corrupt authoritarian who should face criminal courts–not receive billions more for weapons.” Congressional Progressive Caucus chair Greg Casar on Tuesday sent his members a letter where he announced his support for Massie’s amendment and encouraged them to join him. “The American people are crying out for an end to US tax dollars subsidizing Israel’s military,” Casar said. The vote came amid signs that voters in some Democratic primaries are looking for candidates who will take a hard line on Israel and Netanyahu’s government and reject American Israel Public Affairs Committee (Aipac), the powerful lobby that has backed candidates from both parties for deca