Pro-Israel Democrats picked for top roles on key US House committee

Three pro-Israel Democratic lawmakers have been selected for top roles on the Foreign Affairs Committee in the United States House of Representatives, additionally known as HFAC.

Key points

• 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.
• One pro-Palestinian lawmaker, Representative Mark Pocan of Wisconsin, was named to the Africa Subcommittee.
• Critics, including Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, have pointed to those numbers as evidence that the Foreign Affairs Committee appointments were misguided.
• All three politicians – Moskowitz, Wasserman Schultz and Bell – lately won their primaries against progressive Democratic challengers who targeted their pro-Israel positions.
• Polls have consistently suggested a decline in backing for Israel among voters in the US, particularly since the start of Israel's genocidal war on Gaza in October 2023.

That comes despite shifting attitudes among Americans towards Israel. It 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 support 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.

For context, 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 backing 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 additionally partnered with Israel to attack Iran, launching an ongoing war.

For context, 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 lately, a survey conducted last month by the news outlet CNN and the research firm SSRS demonstrated an growth in the number of respondents who remarked they would backing 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.

"A supermajority of Democratic voters have made it clear they want to end U.S. Support for Israel's genocide in Gaza and Trump's assault on Iran, " Tlaib, the first Palestinian American elected to the US Congress, remarked in an official note to Al Jazeera.

She additionally pointed to statements from Moskowitz supporting Trump's war effort against Iran.

"By elevating a genocide denier who has said he is 'to the right' of JD Vance on the war on Iran, Democratic leadership is once again ignoring the base of our party who want the funding of the genocide to end, " Tlaib remarked.

Meanwhile, the decision to appoint three vocal supporters of Israel to key roles in the House comes at a fractious time for the party.

Notably, the US is in the midst of its midterm election season, and Democratic candidates are divided over what, if any, backing the US should provide Israel after its controversial military campaigns in Gaza and Lebanon.

For context, a number of critics of Israel, including Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan, have scored upsets this year in the Democratic Party primaries, beating pro-Israel rivals.

Ben Rhodes, who served as the deputy national security adviser to former President Barack Obama, was among those lambasting Tuesday's selections. It he called a "giant f*** you from Democratic leadership to Democratic voters".

"Dems are counting on people not noticing how they approach governing, " Rhodes wrote on social media. "Appointments on HFAC are a signal of what the party cares about and the disregard for war crimes and voter concerns could not be clearer."

He predicted that the House leadership's choices would leave voters feeling like their views were "completely ignored".

In practice, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the largest Muslim advocacy group in the US, echoed the assessment, writing that it was "deeply concerned" by the appointments.

"Elevating these vocal supporters of funding the Israeli government's ongoing crimes to the House Foreign Affairs Committee indicates that key House leaders intend to openly defy the will of the American people, including Democrats, " CAIR's national deputy director, Edward Ahmed Mitchell, remarked in an official note.

But a number of top House Democrats doubled down on the choices, expressing optimism concerning the new party leadership on the Foreign Affairs Committee.

Representative Gregory Meeks of New York was among the Democrats who supported produce the selections.

In a social media post, he indicated that he looked forward to "working closely" with the committee's new members.

"Their experience, commitment, and expertise will strengthen our work and help guide the committee as it addresses urgent challenges in national security and diplomacy, " Meeks, a vocal supporter of Israel, continued.

Meeks and Hakeem Jeffries, the Democratic Party leader in the House, did not return Al Jazeera's request for comment.

At present, the House is narrowly controlled by the Republican Party. That allows it to name leaders to chair the chamber's standing committees.

But the House majority could flip in the Democrats' favour during November's midterm races.

Mowkowitz, who has consistently resisted placing conditions or restrictions on US military aid to Israel, could become the chair of the MENA subcommittee if Democrats retake the House.

"I'll work to strengthen America's relationships with Israel and our Gulf allies, expand regional peace, advance American diplomacy, and ensure our foreign policy is grounded in strength, security, and reality, " Moskowitz wrote in a social media post on Tuesday. "I'm ready to get to work."

Taken together, the developments around pro-Israel Democrats picked for top roles on key US House committee point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.