Editor’s note: A version of this news analysis first appeared in Steve Harrison’s weekly email newsletter, Inside Politics.
The U.S. House on Wednesday took a symbolic vote to end aid to Israel. The measure failed thanks to near-unanimous Republican support, but it marked a tipping point: More House Democrats voted for it than against it.
The vote crystallized a growing anger within the Democratic Party, whose voters – especially young ones – have become increasingly skeptical of the Jewish state.
The amendment was sponsored by Republican House member Thomas Massie, of Kentucky, an isolationist. He was the only member of the GOP who voted for it, while 103 House Democrats joined him.
Politico called the vote a “moment of reckoning” for the Democratic Party.
North Carolina has four Democratic members of Congress, and the breakdown of how the delegation voted mirrors that of the party as a whole.
Valerie Foushee, of Orange County, and Deborah Ross, of Wake County, voted in favor of ending aid. They joined former leaders, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, of California, and the minority whip, Katherine Clark of Massachusetts.
Democrat Alma Adams, of Charlotte, voted no, along with all 10 Republicans in the state delegation. Democrat Don Davis – who is in a tough general election campaign in a redrawn district – did not vote.
Foushee said in a news release that “Congress has a responsibility to ensure that U.S. taxpayer dollars are used responsibly and that our foreign policy reflects our values, humanitarian standards, and national security interests.”
Ross did not put out a statement about her vote.
In response to a WFAE question, Ross said: “I believe in Israel’s long-term future as a secure and democratic state. I also believe the Palestinian people have an equal right to self-determination and a state of their own. Our country's precedent of unconditional support has, in many ways, undermined progress toward those goals.”
She added: “While the amendment was poorly written and overly broad, I voted yes because it sends a message that the status quo cannot persist. I will continue to support a strong U.S.-Israel alliance and a comprehensive two-state solution to ensure a lasting peace for both Israelis and Palestinians.”
Foushee’s vote was perhaps the least surprising. Her district is the most liberal in the state, encompassing Durham, Chapel Hill and Carrboro. Nida Allam, a more progressive Democrat, has challenged her twice while making the war in Gaza a prominent issue, and came close to winning in the March primary. She lost by less than a percentage point, or 1,171 votes.
If progressives continue to ascend in the Democratic Party, Allam might break through in 2028.
Ross, on the other hand, represents a more suburban Democratic seat that covers most of Wake County. It is not a hotbed of anti-Israel sentiment. Ross did not have a primary opponent this year, and she won her 2024 primary with more than 90% of the vote.
Her vote on Israel did not appear to be made out of fear of losing her job. It’s more of a reflection to the change within the party itself.
Political realignment?
Jewish voters have been reliable Democrats for decades.
Could that change?
NBC News reported this spring that “polling from earlier this year found that 57% of Democrats had a negative view of Israel, up from 35% in 2023. And two-thirds of Democrats said their sympathies were more with Palestinians than with Israelis in the Middle East, up from 18% in 2013.”
Earlier this year, Gallup polling found that, “for the first time in 20 years of asking the question, Americans said they were more sympathetic to Palestinians than to Israelis.”
Other polls have found that Jewish voters are less likely to identify as Democrats now, but many still plan to vote for Democrats.
And while almost all Republicans voted against the Massie amendment, Vice President JD Vance is one of the nation’s biggest critics of Israel. He has been criticized for peddling anti-Semitic tropes.
Perhaps the reality is that Jewish voters will feel they don’t have a home in either party.
