Three pro-Israel Democratic lawmakers have been selected for top roles on the Foreign Affairs Committee in the United States House of Representatives, also known as HFAC. That comes despite shifting attitudes among Americans towards Israel, which is viewed in an increasingly negative light, particularly on the political left. On Tuesday, Representative Jared Moskowitz of Florida was named as the top Democrat on the panel’s Middle East and North Africa Subcommittee (MENA), a position that will allow the outspoken supporter of Israel to help determine US policy in the region.
Moskowitz will replace fellow Democratic Representative Brad Sherman of California. Additionally, Representatives Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida and Wesley Bell of Missouri were appointed to seats on the subcommittees for oversight and intelligence and the Western Hemisphere, respectively. All three politicians – Moskowitz, Wasserman Schultz and Bell – recently won their primaries against progressive Democratic challengers who targeted their pro-Israel positions.
One pro-Palestinian lawmaker, Representative Mark Pocan of Wisconsin, was named to the Africa Subcommittee. The committee appointments spurred backlash from within the Democratic Party’s ranks, with some members denouncing the decisions as out of touch with voter sentiment. Polls have consistently suggested a decline in support for Israel among voters in the US, particularly since the start of Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza in October 2023.
In February, the US also partnered with Israel to attack Iran, launching an ongoing war. A March poll from the Pew Research Center suggested that, overall, 60 percent of US adults had an unfavourable view of Israel, up from 42 percent in 2022. More recently, a survey conducted last month by the news outlet CNN and the research firm SSRS showed an increase in the number of respondents who said they would support candidates who would cut aid to Israel.
Overall, 54 percent of respondents expressed openness to such a candidate. That number rose to 70 percent among Democratic-leaning voters. Critics, including Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, have pointed to those numbers as evidence that the Foreign Affairs Committee appointments were misguided.
She also pointed to statements from Moskowitz supporting Trump’s war effort against Iran. The decision to appoint three vocal supporters of Israel to key roles in the House comes at a fractious time for the party. The US is in the midst of its midterm election season, and Democratic candidates are divided over what, if any, support the US should provide Israel after its controversial military campaigns in Gaza and Lebanon.
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