Critics of aid to Israel may enter the US House of Representatives — Jerusalem Post
Ahead of the US midterm elections, a group of progressive Democratic Party candidates who sharply criticize Israel’s military campaign in Gaza and advocate ending US military aid may win seats in the House of Representatives. As the Jerusalem Post reports, Israel views this as a potential challenge to the traditional bipartisan support for the Israeli state in Washington.
According to the publication’s assessment, at least seven candidates may join the current group of progressive lawmakers known as the Squad. Their possible arrival in Congress comes amid deepening divisions within the Democratic Party over US policy toward Israel following the war in Gaza.
Candidates and their statements
Among the notable candidates is former New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, who is running in New York’s 10th congressional district. He told CBS News that he had seen “ethnic cleansing” in the West Bank. Lander also said that Israeli settlers had driven Palestinians out of villages in the Jordan Valley and set homes on fire.
Michigan’s 13th district candidate Donovan McKinney called Israel’s actions in Gaza genocide and said he would support ending US aid to Israel if genocide were established. He said he independently reviewed the definition of the term after the UN, according to him, described the situation that way.
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New York’s 13th district candidate Dalia Avila-Chevalier criticized the United States’ continued funding and arming of Israel. She also took part in pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University, including a rally on October 8, 2023.
Calls to limit support for Israel
California candidate Angela Gonzales-Torres supported ending US aid to Israel, imposing sanctions, and blocking arms deliveries. She also said that supporting the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, or BDS, is the minimum necessary position.
Doctor Adam Hamawy, who is running in New Jersey’s 12th district and worked in Gaza during the war, repeatedly accused Israel of genocide. According to him, his experience working in Gaza convinced him that he must influence how American taxpayers’ money is spent in Washington.
House of Representatives member Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, one of the most influential progressive Democrats, previously said that unconditional aid to Israel had contributed to what she called genocide in Gaza. The Jerusalem Post noted that victories by such candidates could increase pressure on future Democratic presidential candidates over their position on US-Israel relations.
