The U.S. House of Representatives voted 314 to 104 to reject an amendment that, if approved, would have halted approximately $3.3 billion in annual U.S. military aid to Israel. Among the House’s 212 Democratic members, 103 voted in favor of the proposal.
The amendment was jointly introduced by Republican Representative Thomas Massie and Democratic Representative Ro Khanna. Opponents of the measure, including House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, argued that suspending the aid could negatively affect humanitarian operations, embassy security, and counterterrorism programs.
In a letter to members of the Democratic caucus, Jeffries stated that lawmakers were free to vote according to their own judgment and conscience. However, he made clear that he personally opposed suspending U.S. military assistance to Israel.
The vote took place amid continuing divisions over U.S. foreign policy regarding the war in Gaza. Many supporters of the amendment, particularly those on the progressive wing of the Democratic Party, have called for conditioning military aid on Israel’s adherence to human rights standards and a reduction in military operations in Gaza.
Meanwhile, supporters of Israel in both parties maintain that U.S. military assistance is strategically vital to Israel’s security against threats posed by Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Islamic Republic of Iran, and therefore should not be suspended.
Annual U.S. military assistance to Israel primarily includes funding for advanced weapons systems, missile defense capabilities such as the Iron Dome, and expanded military and technological cooperation between the two countries.
The defeat of the amendment once again demonstrated that a majority of Congress continues to support ongoing U.S. military assistance to Israel, although the number of lawmakers opposing such aid has grown compared with previous years.
The issue of U.S. military assistance to Israel is expected to resurface during future debates over defense appropriations and will likely remain a central issue in both U.S. foreign policy and domestic political discourse.
Writer:Salima Aryaei
