Deep split erupts between Democrats on Israel-Hamas war
The growing and personal Democratic split over the
Israel-Hamas war is about to spill onto the House floor, with leaders bracing for fights on
Israel-related legislation between pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel members of Congress.
Why it matters: "Things could not possibly be any worse than they are right now," one House Democrat lamented.
- Democratic aides and lawmakers told Axios that the upcoming votes on half dozen votes are exacerbating a tense situation.
- A top aide to another Democrat said their office has been inundated with a "constant" battery of phone calls on the issue.
Several of these bills, despite having Democratic co-sponsors, are poised to split the party.
- The liberal group J Street is pressing House Democrats to vote against a GOP-led resolution condemning "the support of Hamas, Hezbollah, and other terrorist organizations" on college campuses.
- It also urges Democrats to vote against new sanctions on Iran and a resolution declaring it "not acceptable" for Iran to have nuclear weapons.
The big picture: President Biden's initial response to the
Israel-Hamas war sparked some of the harshest criticism he's received from progressives and people of color in his party — and those lawmakers think the
party's base is on their side.
- Members of the Squad, the high-profile group of House progressives, accused the White House of empowering Israel to retaliate in a way that has put the lives of tens of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza at risk.
- "I want [Biden] to know as a Palestinian American and also someone of Muslim faith, I'm not going to forget this," said Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), the first Palestinian-American woman in Congress, at a recent rally protesting the White House's response.
- The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Zoom in: Nine House Democrats
voted against a resolution last week that condemned Hamas and supported Israel, and another six voted "present."
The vote sparked intra-party public feuds.
- Rep. Andre Carson (D-Ind.) called Rep. Josh Gottheimer a "punk" and "cowardly"after the New Jersey Democrat wrote on X that the Democrats who voted against the resolution supporting Israel and condemning Hamas were "despicable," CNN reports.
- Rep. Summer Lee (D-Pa.) said "it's not us without a soul" after Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) suggested people who haven't condemned Hamas' slaughter of Israeli civilians "don't have a soul," the New York Times reports.
Between the lines: One area of Democratic unity is on a resolution, expected to get a vote this week, to censure Tlaib for her history of comments on Israel and her speech to a
protest at the Capitol complex pressing for a ceasefire in Gaza.
The growing and personal Democratic split over the
Israel-Hamas war is about to spill onto the House floor, with leaders bracing for fights on
Israel-related legislation between pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel members of Congress.
https://www.axios.com/2023/11/01/israel-hamas-war-congress-democrats-bid