US Midterm Elections 2026 News | Al Jazeera Skip linksSkip to Contentplay Live Sign upShow navigation menuNavigation menuNewsShow more news sectionsAfrica.
Live Click here to searchsearchSign upNavigation menucaret-leftIsrael attacks LebanonIsrael bombs LebanonWhat is Lebanon’s Beaufort Castle? Has Hezbollah been weakened.
That comes despite shifting attitudes among Americans towards Israel, which is viewed in an increasingly negative light, particularly on the political left.
list 1 of 3US Arabs eye ‘historic’ Senate win for Abdul El-Sayed despite AIPAC attacks.
list 2 of 3Most US Democrats in early 2028 primary states oppose aid to Israel: Poll.
list 3 of 3California lawmaker overcomes pro-Israel spending to win special election.
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.
Several 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, which he called a “giant f*** you from Democratic leadership to Democratic voters”.
He predicted that the House leadership’s choices would leave voters feeling like their views were “completely ignored”.
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.
But several top House Democrats doubled down on the choices, expressing optimism about the new party leadership on the Foreign Affairs Committee.
Representative Gregory Meeks of New York was among the Democrats who helped make the selections.
In a social media post, he indicated that he looked forward to “working closely” with the committee’s new members.
Meeks and Hakeem Jeffries, the Democratic Party leader in the House, did not return Al Jazeera’s request for comment.
Currently, 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 opposed placing conditions or restrictions on US military aid to Israel, could become the chair of the MENA subcommittee if Democrats retake the House.
Fontes
Informação baseada em material público de Al Jazeera, reescrito pela redação ULTRA NOTÍCIAS.
