This week, 40 Senate Democrats wrote to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, condemning the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) and calling on the Trump administration to increase food distribution in Gaza.
“The acute humanitarian crisis in Gaza is also unsustainable and worsens by the day. Hunger and malnutrition are widespread, and, alarmingly, deaths due to starvation, especially among children, are increasing,” reads the letter, which was led by Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), and other pro-Israel lawmakers.
The ‘Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’ has failed to address the deepening humanitarian crisis and contributed to an unacceptable and mounting civilian death toll around the organization’s sites. To prevent the situation from getting even worse, we urge you to advocate for a large-scale expansion of humanitarian assistance,” it continues.
The effort comes just days after another letter to Rubio, led by Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), that calls on the Trump administration to stop funding the GHF and resume the UN’s food distribution program in Gaza.
“Blurring the lines between delivery of aid and security operations shatters well-established norms that have governed distribution of humanitarian aid since the ratification of the Geneva Conventions in 1949,” reads the letter.
In recent days, some Democrats have also called for military aid to be cut off in response to the starvation crisis.
“I am through supporting the actions of the current Israeli government and will advocate—and vote—for an end to any United States support whatsoever until there is a demonstrable change in the direction of Israeli policy,” said Sen. Angus King (I-Maine) in a statement on his website.
This week, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) will force a vote on two resolutions to block weapons sales to Israel.
“U.S. taxpayers have spent tens of billions of dollars in support of the racist, extremist Netanyahu government. Enough is enough,” said Sanders in a statement. “We cannot continue to spend taxpayer money on a government which has killed some 60,000 Palestinians and wounded more than 143,000—most of whom are women, children, and the elderly. We cannot continue supporting a government which has blocked humanitarian aid, caused massive famine, and literally starved the people of Gaza.”
This political pressure comes amid further polling indicating that support for Israel has drastically diminished among Democratic voters.
78% of New York City Democratic primary voters believe Israel is carrying out a genocide, and 63% believe the city should enforce the ICC arrest warrant against Benjamin Netanyahu.
A Data for Progress survey of New York City Democratic primary voters, found that 78% of them believe Israel is carrying out a genocide and 63% believe the city should enforce the International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The same poll found that 63% of Democratic voters support mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani, who has consistently criticized Israel’s actions in Gaza and is an open supporter of the BDS movement.
Pro-Israel groups and political opponents have smeared Mamdani as an antisemite over his position on Palestine, but a Zenith Research/Public Progress Solutions poll suggests that the effort has failed. Mamdani has 43% of the Jewish vote, leading all other candidates by a considerable margin. Among Jewish voters between the ages of 18 and 44, he has 67% of the vote.
A new Gallup poll shows that just 32% of Americans back Israel’s actions in Gaza, an all-time low.
A new Gallup poll shows that just 32% of Americans back Israel’s actions in Gaza, an all-time low. The same survey shows that Netanyahu is rated unfavorably by a majority of Americans for the first time ever, with a support level of just 29%.
Israel’s war on Gaza is still supported by 71% of Republican voters, but just 25% of Independents and 8% of Democrats back the genocide, the lowest readings to date for either group.
“The increasingly skeptical and divided American public poses a challenge for Israeli leadership and U.S. policymakers who are seeking to navigate the conflict,” notes Gallup senior editor Megan Brenan.
Institute for Middle East Understanding Policy Project (IMEU) executive director Margaret DeReus told Semafor that support for Israel could lead to Democratic incumbents being ousted.
“Support for blocking bombs to Israel, recognizing Israel’s genocide in Gaza, and holding Israel accountable for its violations of the law is not simply the opinion of the majority of Democratic voters,” she said. “It is the vast, vast majority, and any Democrat who stands with AIPAC instead of their own voters is running the real risk of getting voted out of office.”
“There has to be a total mindset change in the Democratic party,” declared Democratic pundit Tommy Vietor on the popular Pod Save America podcast. “When the war ends, we are not going back to the pre-October 7 status quo.”
More cratering. Five weeks ago the Board of Deputies of British Jews suspended or reprimanded 36 of its members for criticising Israel’s actions in Gaza. Two days ago the Board criticised Israel’s actions in Gaza.
American politicians are accountable to the people who elected them.
AIPAC and its money must not have veto power over the will of the American voter in a free and Democratic country. The vast majority of American want the Genocide in Gaza and ethnic cleansing in the occupied West Bank to stop.
Americans want to see fairness for Palestinians. It is doubtful 1% will support a vision for Jews to exit.