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Or sign-in if you have an account.Democratic former U.S. House speaker Nancy Pelosi, left, voted to cut military aid for Israel, while Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, right, voted the other way -- exposing the divide in the party. Photo by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images/FileMore than 100 U.S. House Democrats voted this week to cut military aid to Israel, exposing a widening party divide that could reshape both November’s midterm elections and the future of one of Washington’s most durable foreign policy alliances.Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. 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Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.Unlimited online access to National Post.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorThe measure, offered by conservative Kentucky congressman Thomas Massie, was defeated overwhelmingly after nearly all his fellow Republicans and 98 Democrats opposed it.But the vote was striking because 103 Democrats backed ending the aid, while 10 others voted present — a near-even split that would have been almost unthinkable for most of the modern U.S.-Israel relationship.Columnist Jesse Kline keeps you up to date with what’s happening in Israel and the effects of antisemitism on life here in Canada. Friday mornings.By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.The next issue of Channel Israel will soon be in your inbox.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again“When more than 100 House Democrats are willing to vote to cut military aid, that’s no longer a protest vote,” veteran political strategist Mike Fahey told AFP.“That’s a signal that the party is undergoing a generational and ideological realignment.”The revolt reached deep into Democratic leadership. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries opposed the amendment, but his deputy Katherine Clark voted for it, as did former speaker Nancy Pelosi, one of Congress’s longest-serving defenders of the alliance.“For the good of the Israeli people and the Palestinian people, it is clear U.S. policy must change,” Pelosi said.Clark said Washington should not provide a “blank check” to any country that fails to comply with U.S. law, interests and values.The amendment had little chance of becoming law. But it became a political marker, revealing how much support for Israel has eroded inside the Democratic Party after years of war in Gaza, mounting Palestinian casualties and frustration with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing government.It isn’t simply a Washington dynamic; opinion among left-leaning voters has shifted sharply.A recent Washington Post-Ipsos poll found that nearly three-quarters of Democrats want to reduce or end military support for Israel, while 40 per cent want to eliminate it entirely.Other surveys show a broader generational shift, with younger Americans far less willing to accept unconditional U.S. support for Israel than older voters.The shift is already playing out in Democratic primaries.Progressive candidates in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Colorado have won races while openly criticizing U.S. aid to Israel and attacking the influence of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the powerful pro-Israel lobby known as AIPAC.In Michigan, a key battleground state, Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed has made opposition to Israel’s war and U.S. military aid a central part of his campaign against Congresswoman Haley Stevens, a longtime Israel supporter backed by pro-Israel groups.That fight has national implications.Anger over Gaza helped weaken Democrats in Arab American areas of Michigan in the 2024 presidential election, when Donald Trump carried the state, and party strategists fear the issue could again depress turnout or intensify intra-party conflict.Progressives argue that Democratic leaders are only now catching up with their voters.They say the party cannot credibly campaign on human rights, economic justice and opposition to Trump while continuing to send billions in military aid to Netanyahu’s government.But pro-Israel Democrats warn that the left is moving too far, too fast — and that Republicans will use the divide to portray Democrats as hostile to Israel, weak on security or tolerant of antisemitism.The National Republican Congressional Committee quickly seized on the House vote, saying Democrats had become consumed by a “radical, antisemitic faction” and promising that voters would remember.The issue is also straining Democratic unity in the Senate.John Fetterman, the Pennsylvania Democrat who has become one of Israel’s strongest defenders in his party, told a political event in Washington he would consider leaving if Democrats officially became what he called the “anti-Israel party.”“You look at the kinds of individuals that are winning our recent primaries,” he added. “It’s becoming more anti-Israel and hostile to people” who are pro-Israel.Pro-Israel Democrats acknowledge the warning signs.Democratic Majority for Israel, which backed the defeat of Massie’s amendment, called it reckless and said it would have weakened Israel and undermined U.S. security interests.But the group also said the number of Democrats who supported the measure sent “a loud and clear message” that Israel must repair its relationship with the party, especially younger voters.Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. 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