Jewish Dems Respond to Massie Amendment Cutting Aid to Israel

WASHINGTON – Following the House vote on an amendment put forth by Republican Rep. Tom Massie to cut all U.S. security assistance to Israel, Halie Soifer, CEO of the Jewish Democratic Council of America (JDCA) released the following statement:

“The decision by Republican leadership to force a vote on the Massie Amendment cutting all aid to Israel is a cynical political ploy. This amendment was never intended to pass, and Republicans and Democrats alike – even many of those who voted for it – haven’t turned their back on Israel, recognizing there’s a distinction between the people of Israel and the current Israeli government.

“While JDCA opposes this amendment on its merits and supports full funding of vital security assistance for Israel in accordance with U.S. law, some Democrats will support this amendment to send a strong message of disapproval regarding policies of the current Israeli government. Many of these Democrats support Israel’s future as a Jewish and democratic state, and also support the U.S.-Israel security relationship, but are concerned about humanitarian conditions in the West Bank and Gaza.

“Republicans, some of whom have echoed Prime Minister Netanyahu’s own calls for phasing out U.S. security assistance to Israel in the future, are playing politics with Israel’s security by using this vote to divide Democrats and distract from Trump’s disastrous and unauthorized war with Iran. The real story here isn’t the vote count, it’s the GOP’s use of Israel as a political pawn. 

“The Democratic Party will continue to have honest, good-faith conversations about how best to ensure safety and security for Israelis and Palestinians alike, including by supporting Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state and ensuring it has the resources needed to defend itself. Jewish voters will continue to overwhelmingly align with Democrats because they are the only party that shares their values on a myriad of key issues, including Israel.”

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