"Every option is bad": Democrats squirm over House vote to shut off aid to Israel

House Democrats are split ahead of a vote on an amendment that would block all U.S. aid to Israel. According to Axios, the measure, introduced by Republican Thomas Massie, would eliminate not just military funding but also humanitarian aid, refugee support, and embassy operations. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries announced Tuesday he'll vote against it, arguing the amendment is too broad and would undermine counterterrorism efforts in the region. But progressive Democrats, led by Caucus Chair Greg Casar, plan to vote yes as a signal that the Netanyahu government's policies are unacceptable. Internal estimates suggest at least forty House Democrats may support the measure. In reality, the amendment has little chance of passing the Republican-controlled chamber — a fact some Democrats suspect GOP leaders are exploiting to divide the caucus. Jeffries suggested the Democratic party remains open to conditioning future military aid to Israel on stronger human rights oversight.

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