'We're at that point': Democrats press Biden to change course on Israel and Gaza

WASHINGTON – Congressional Democrats are pressing for changes in U.S. support for Israel following the death of seven aid workers for celebrity chef José Andrés’ World Central Kitchen aid group.

At stake may be $14 billion in security aid to the country that the U.S. has long championed as the only democracy in the Middle East. The Democratic pressure, which intensified this past week, reflects growing angst within the party’s base that could undermine Joe Biden's reelection.

Biden took the first step in a sharp conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Thursday, three days after Israeli forces struck a convoy of aid workers leaving a warehouse in central Gaza. He said the humanitarian situation in Gaza is “unacceptable” and issued an ultimatum: support in the war against Hamas in Gaza depends on "immediate" and ''concrete'' steps to protect civilians and aid workers.

Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., a Biden ally, Israel advocate and member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, was asked on CNN on Thursday when the U.S. should pursue a change in policy toward Israel, rather than attempting to use diplomacy to limit civilian deaths in Gaza.

“I think we’re at that point,” Coons said. “I’ve never been here before. I’ve been a strong supporter of Israel the whole time I’ve served in Congress.”

He continued: “The challenge is to make it clear that we support the Israeli people, that we want to and will continue to have a strong and close relationship with Israel, but that the tactics by which the current prime minister is making these decisions don’t reflect the best values of Israel or of the United States.”

More: Chef Jose Andres' World Central Kitchen demands independent probe into Gaza drone strikes

Israel has said the attack was a mistake and that it targeted the aid workers believing they were “Hamas operatives.” The Israeli military campaign in Gaza began after Hamas, which controls the Gaza strip, crossed into Israel on Oct. 7 in the biggest terrorist attack in the nation's history.

What Democrats in Congress are pushing Biden to do about Israel and Gaza

Following Biden and Netanyahu’s call, Israel announced it would reopen a crossing into Gaza to allow more aid to come through.

Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., a relatively moderate Democrat and another Foreign Relations Committee member, said in a statement Friday that Israel has a right to defend itself but that the U.S.’ current approach to Israel “is not working.” He repeated a request for the Biden administration to withhold “bombs and other offensive weapons that can kill and wound civilians and humanitarian aid workers” and to provide only defensive aid.

Their comments add to the chorus of voices from the party’s left wing that have been raising concerns with Israel’s bombing campaign in the Gaza strip, where more than 30,000 people have been killed since last October.

Progressive Reps. Mark Pocan, D-Wisc., Jim McGovern, D-Mass., and Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill. are circulating a letter to members that will be sent to Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken urging them to rescind a recent arms transfer to Israel and withhold any future transfers if Israel “fails to sufficiently mitigate harm to innocent civilians in Gaza, including aid workers.”

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., told the podcast “Pod Save America” on Friday that Biden should tell Netanyahu that “all military aid will cease” if thousands of aid trucks can’t enter Gaza.

“One day the president is angry at Netanyahu,” he said. “The next day he’s very angry. And the next day he’s very, very angry. So what?”

And Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., the highest-ranking Jewish elected official in American history, made waves last month by publicly calling for new elections in Israel in order to find a lasting path to peace in the region.

The party's increasing hesitance to support Israel without restrictions contrasts with even Biden's strongest comments to date: He reportedly told Netanyahu that the U.S. "won't be able to support" Israel if it doesn't change its approach in Gaza, but didn't mention the possibility of ending weapons shipments.

The administration approved the shipment of thousands more bombs to Israel on the same day as the strike, though it occurred before the World Central Kitchen attack and the weapons are expected to arrive in the country next year.

The pressure from Congressional Democrats reflects growing discontent among their voting base. Nearly half of American voters and 69% of Democrats believe Biden should pressure Israel to ease the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, according to a USA TODAY/Suffolk University poll from last month.

How Israel and Gaza is shaping 2024 politics

The deepening divide over Israel has also further muddied election year politics. As Biden seeks to win another four years in the White House, his base in key swing states like Michigan have used the ballot box to protest the administration’s support amid Israel’s bombing campaign.

Even other vulnerable Democrats on the campaign trail have been pressured to take a stronger stance, forcing them to walk the line between a base that demands changes and more centrist voters who remain supportive of Israel.

However, only 18% of Republicans share the belief that Biden should put more pressure on Israel, according to the USA TODAY poll. Republicans in Congress mirror that attitude – and to date, their steadfast support for Israel has provided Democrats some leverage as they aim to advance $95 billion in emergency aid to allies including Israel and Ukraine that passed the Senate in February.

That package has stalled in the House, where Republicans are split on sending more funding to aid Ukraine’s war with Russia.

Will Israel receive more military aid?

House Speaker Mike Johnson has said he would put a security package on the floor in the coming weeks. But if a handful of Democrats waffle over concerns about funding Israel, it could further gum up negotiations.

The State Department has until May 8 to provide a report to Congress on Israel's compliance with international humanitarian law. If the administration determines that Israel is not in compliance, it can stop all arms transfers to the country.

However, it remains unclear how widespread Democrats' attitude change toward Israel will be.

Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., the chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told CBS News Thursday that the focus should be on sending more aid to Gaza rather than further restricting weapons to Israel.

“There’s already protection on all programs” in which the U.S. sends arms to other countries, he said, ensuring that allies only use weapons for the intended purpose, such as targeting Hamas. “I don’t know whether this is a relevant discussion to what is currently being debated.”

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., a staunch Israel supporter, wrote on X in response to reporting that Biden would condition : “In this war against Hamas—no conditions for Israel.”

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Democrats amp up pressure to change Israel policy after aid worker deaths