GOP Congressmen Back Israel; Dems Voice Opposition
Israel’s devastating airstrikes on Iran—eliminating top military commanders and nuclear scientists—have sharply intensified America’s partisan divide over support for the Jewish state.
On one side of the debate are Israel’s closest congressional allies, who cheered Netanyahu’s preemptive attacks as an imperative effort to make the region, and the world, a safer place.
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson defended the airstrikes online, posting, “Israel is right — and has a right — to defend itself!”
Much of the Republican caucus in both Congressional chambers echoed that warm support.
“What Israel’s preemptive strike ensured tonight is that Iran’s next attack will not be with a nuclear weapon,” said Rep. Brian Mast, R-Fla., the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
The Republican Jewish Coalition enthusiastically reposted GOP members praising Israel, and suggested that Trump was in on the planning.
Senator Bill Cassidy, a Louisiana Republican: “The Iranian government has been directly and indirectly attacking Israel and the U.S. for decades. It’s an open secret that Iran is producing nuclear weapons-grade uranium, and it’s not hard to guess that those nuclear weapons would be pointed at Israel. Iran invited this attack.”
Senator John Barrasso, a Wyoming Republican and Senate Majority Whip: “Israel rightly took unilateral action to defend itself against Iran—an increasingly aggressive enemy. Iran must dismantle its nuclear program.”
Democratic Pro-Israel Outliers
Although Pro-Israel Democrats are the outliers in the party today, the Democratic Majority for Israel posted close to 20 online statements in Israel’s support.
“Our commitment to Israel must be absolute and I fully support this attack,” Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania tweeted, adding, “Keep wiping out Iranian leadership and the nuclear personnel. We must provide whatever is necessary — military, intelligence, weaponry — to fully back Israel in striking Iran.”
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schulz of Florida, too, voiced support for the Israeli airstrikes against Tehran. “I stand firmly behind Israel’s right to defend itself. Iran has long funded terror groups who killed Americans and has moved to develop nuclear weapons to aim at Israel,” she posted. “If Israel’s strikes set back Iran’s nuclear program, we’ll all be safer.”
Representative Richie Torres of New York rebuffed those who immediately called for de-escalation. “The charge of ‘escalation’ is reserved exclusively for Israel, not for a threshold nuclear power openly calling for its destruction,” he wrote online. “The double standard is unrelenting.”
“The October 7 attacks showed that Israel can leave nothing to chance — the threats they face are real, and inaction can cost lives,” Rep. Steven Horsford (D-Nev.), a former head of the Congressional Black Caucus, said in a statement. “The strikes that began last night in Iran targeted military leaders and nuclear facilities that posed a clear risk for Israel and for future peace in the region.”
Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., sounded a similar note, warning that allowing Iran to develop nuclear weapons “would place Israel, the United States, and partners in the region under direct and constant danger.”
“Iran could have prevented this. They chose this path,” Moskowitz said in a statement. “Democratic and Republican administrations have all agreed that Iran should never obtain a nuclear weapon, and this will help that bipartisan goal.”
Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-NV, one of the most vocal pro-Israel Democrats in the Senate, offered her first comments on the strike Friday morning, saying that Iran cannot be allowed to have a nuclear weapon, and is “closer than ever” to developing one, as reflected in the International Atomic Energy Agency’s recent report that Iran had violated its nonproliferation commitments.
“The Iranian regime and its proxies have been very public about their commitment to the destruction of Israel and Jewish communities around the world. We should take them at their word,” Rosen said. “Israel acted in self-defense against an attack from Iran, and the U.S. must continue to stand with Israel, as it has for decades, at this dangerous moment.”
Steadily Eroding Democratic Support
Unfortunately, these courageous pro-Israel voices are a clear minority in both the House and Senate. On the other side of the spectrum stands a large percentage of Democratic congressmen in whose ranks support for Israel, once a lynchpin of the Democratic platform, has steadily eroded under the party’s progressive wing.
According to a recent benchmark survey by the Israeli-based INSS organization, only one-third of Democrats compared to over four-fifths of Republicans have a favorable view of Israel.
The Democratic party’s declining support of Israel was on display in July 2024 when about 70 Democrats from the House and Senate boycotted Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s speech to a joint session of Congress.
Their abandonment of the Jewish State was again showcased when one-third of Democratic Senators voted in favor of laws proposed by Senator Bernie Sanders to halt most arms sales to Israel.
Sanders’ legislation failed but the weapons shipments (most already pre-paid by Israel) were held up for months by President Biden, at a time when they were critically needed by the Jewish state fighting off attacks by Iran and its terrorist proxies
And in January 2025, Senate Democrats blocked a law to sanction the International Criminal Court for issuing arrest warrants against Israel’s political leadership for committing “war crimes.”
(President Trump overrode this move with an executive order in February harshly sanctioning four of the most vicious ICC judges.)
The alienation of the Democratic party from Israel is the result of several long-term trends. Key among them, explain analysts, is the declining religiosity of American Jewry and Americans in general.
In addition, coast to coast pro-Palestinian propaganda which has spurred a generational divide between parents and children in attitudes about Israel has played a significant role.
Younger college-educated Americans, including unaffiliated Jews, tend to view the Middle East through the prism of “post-colonialism,” as preached by woke liberals who dominate today’s universities.
Ignorant of historical truth, these radicals cast Israel as the oppressor—automatically guilty of a whole litany of “crimes”—and Palestinians as innocent victims.
Democrats Blast Israel’s Attacks on Iran
Multiple Democrat lawmakers decried Israel’s Thursday night attack on Iran, with progressives and leftists claiming Israel was taking “immoral” actions and pursuing “dangerous escalation” against the Iranian regime.
Many of these congressmen make a habit of quoting death toll figures massively hyped up by the Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry. They wasted no time blasting the Israeli government’s latest foray into Iran.
“Israel’s reckless, escalatory strikes on Iran risk igniting a larger regional war, and undermine planned negotiations for a potential new nuclear deal,” Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., the former head of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, wrote online. “Netanyahu must not be allowed to pull America into another forever war. Instead, we must immediately push for negotiated de-escalation.”
Sen. Jack Reed, R.I., the senior Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, issued a statement that accused Israel of endangering US forces in the region, warning that “Israel’s alarming decision to launch airstrikes on Iran is a reckless escalation that risks igniting regional violence.”
“While tensions between Israel and Iran are real and complex, military aggression of this scale is never the answer,” Reed said.
Senator Jeanne Shaheen, the ranking member on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, called Israel’s strikes against Iran “an escalation that is deeply concerning and will inevitably invite counterattacks. This risks the safety of American service members, diplomats, their families and ex-pats around the region.”
Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Ct, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released a statement condemning Israel for risking “a regional war that will likely be catastrophic for America.”
Schumer the ‘Shomer’?
The top two Democratic congressional leaders, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, both of New York, stressed the need to stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons but only through a diplomatic (as opposed to military) path forward.
Schumer added that “the United States’ commitment to Israel’s security and defense must be ironclad as they prepare for Iran’s response.”
The Senate Minority Leader who likes to call himself Israel’s “shomer”—protector—lost credibility with a great many constituents after undermining Israel under the Biden administration.
On March 14, 2024, then Senate Majority Leader Schumer called for Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to be removed from office, after Netanyahu refused to heed Biden’s call to halt Israel’s military campaign against Rafah where Hamas battalions were entrenched.
The Jewish senator’s attack on Netanyahu thrilled and emboldened Israel-haters worldwide; it was the equivalent of striking a match over a powder keg.
At the same time, the Senate Majority Leader also voted to block the sale of 3500 bombs desperately needed by Israel in its fight against Hamas, presumably to force Netanyahu’s compliance with Biden’s wishes.
Schumer also voted against a January 2025 bipartisan bill to sanction the ICC for its issuing of arrest warrants against Israeli leaders, and “urged his Democratic colleagues to vote against the bill” as well, Reuters reported.
These acts of betrayal, especially during wartime when Israel was being vilified by enemies and “allies” alike, exposed Schumer as a farthest thing from Israel’s ‘protector.’
‘Non-Interventionists’ Fear Getting Dragged Into “Forever” War
In addition to vehement anti-Israel voices in Congress, there are the “non-interventionists” from both sides of the aisle calling for “de-escalation” and “peace.”
These figures echo Neville Chamberlain’s infamous ‘peace in our time’ rhetoric—words that came to symbolize, in the days leading up to the outbreak of WWII, the cowardice and appeasement of Western leaders in the face of Hitler’s march toward world conquest.
Marjorie Taylor Greene’s reaction was representative of this mindset. “I’m praying for peace. Peace. That’s my official position,” the Georgia Republican declared, adding that “the American people aren’t interested in foreign wars” and railing against anyone voicing support for U.S involvement in the Middle East war.
Several congressmen echoed her stance but in a more nuanced way.
Sen. Mark Warner, D-VA, the vice chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, emphasized the need to “avoid steps that will cause further escalation across the region,” while also stating, “Iran has threatened the safety of Israel and the region and Israel has an undeniable right to defend itself and its citizens.”
“I have long believed that the world cannot tolerate a nuclear-armed Iran and that Iran and its proxies pose a serious threat to American interests,” said Sen. Chris Coons, D-DE. “Even so, tonight’s actions have the potential to lead to dangerous escalation and a full-scale regional war. Everyone’s goal must now be the prevention of such a war.”
Skeptics of military action against Iran are right to point out that there are risks involved. But what intelligent person can fail to see that nothing could pose a greater risk to the Middle East and the world than the Iranian regime with a nuclear weapon?
Most people didn’t catch it at the time, but at an afternoon press conference preceding Israel’s airstrikes on Iran, President Donald Trump all but greenlit them.
“I wouldn’t call it imminent,” he said —but added that if Iran does not agree to the conditions of the U.S.-proposed nuclear deal, they will face even more, “brutal” and “planned attacks” from Israel.
The Trump administration has been demanding that Iran halt all uranium enrichment, since enrichment past a certain level has no purpose other than developing the unique isotope necessary for nuclear weapons.
Iran has refused to agree, leading to the impasse in nuclear talks — and leading Israel to attack Iran last Friday rather than face the prospect of an imminent Iranian nuclear weapon.
“Iran must make a deal, before there is nothing left, and save what was once known as the Iranian Empire,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “No more death, no more destruction, JUST DO IT, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE.”
Pro-Israel ‘Warmongers?’
The following 24 hours saw a partial splintering of the MAGA coalition that carried Trump to a second term. The “Make America Great Again movement,” appeared to split between largely pro-Israel conservatives and a smaller isolationist wing that wants no part of another Middle East conflict.
The most striking voice of dissent came from Tucker Carlson, the former Fox News host, now a high-profile media figure. He warned of “impending war,” blaming Trump for being complicit and claiming “the real divide is not between those who support Israel and those who support Iran or the Palestinians, but between warmongers and peacemakers.”
Carlson’s platform has morphed from one hosting wholesome conservative values to a vehicle that increasingly panders to bizarre anti-Semitic figures, Holocaust deniers and the like.
Renowned Middle East policy expert David Wurmser explained: “Though we say Tucker is inside the conservative tent, his policies are far more similar to progressive “squad” member Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s than to Trump’s.”
“Warmongers,” Wurmser said, “has become shorthand among a minority of people in the MAGA movement who believe that America’s involvement with Israel causes wars and entangles the United States in them.”
That policy is doomed, Wurmser said, “because you can’t ‘make America great again’ by making it retreat again. Nor does it work, since the Middle East will come to us, as it has consistently done.”
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Isolationism: The Flip Side of Appeasement
Mark Levin, the fiery weekend Fox News host, accused prominent media figure Tucker Carlson of promoting anti-Semitism and undermining Trump.
“We are so tired of the isolationists barking about the old and failed foreign policy of the past and insisting that they’ve uncovered the secret, new way forward—isolationism,” Levin said to JNS. “There’s nothing new or good about isolationism, which, in a word, is appeasement. It promotes war, such as World War II,” he said.
“The isolationists, such as Carlson, are now turning on our president, as they’ve spent months demeaning Netanyahu,” Levin went on. “They sought to hijack MAGA, a movement they do not support. Hence, their hesitation or outright opposition to supporting our ally Israel in its war of survival against the Iranian terrorist regime—a war that will benefit the entire world.
“Iran’s regime has killed and maimed Americans and sought to assassinate the American president,” Levin stressed. “It threatens Israel with nuclear annihilation, has spread death and mayhem in Israel, Lebanon, Yemen, Gaza and Iraq. It has aligned itself with Communist China, North Korea and Russia.”
He emphasized that wanting to stop the “Islamo-Nazi regime in Iran” is not the conduct of a warmonger, as Carlson and others pejoratively calls supporters of Israel, but the duty of a peacemaker.
In an online Post on his Truth Social account, President Trump appeared to agree: “AMERICA FIRST means many great things, including the fact that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.”
He said Iran should have signed the ‘deal’ he advised them to sign to prevent “a waste of human life.” He ended the post with an ominous warning: “Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran!” –a chilling message that hinted at potentially game-changing developments.
Israeli parliament member Ohad Tal told Fox News Digital that striking a deal with Iran without first toppling its “evil, jihadist regime” is not the most desirable goal.
Tal told the news outlet that the West must face the reality that “we must take down this evil regime” not just to save the region, but the “entire world from this threat.”
Since last Thursday, when Israeli forces launched a large-scale preemptive strike against Iran, Tal said he’s received calls from Muslim and Arab leaders across the Middle East who told him, “You’re not just saving yourself, you’re saving us as well.”
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Blind Loyalty
American Jews have overwhelmingly backed the Democratic Party for decades, with 70 percent of this community consistently voting Democrat. Jewish support stemmed from the historical perception of the Democratic party as the most reliable vehicle to safeguard civil rights—of foremost importance to a people accustomed to persecution.
That was before far-left, Marxist-leaning elements hijacked the party, embracing the toxic ideologies of critical race theory and the “oppressor-versus-oppressed” doctrine as foundational beliefs.
A recent poll found that 60% of Democrats now view Israel unfavorably with some suggesting that younger voters are fueling this shift. A majority of Democrats aged 18 to 34, coming of age in woke-dominated universities and ignorant of history, view Palestinians as the oppressed underdog and Israelis as the oppressor.
Anti-Israel sentiment is no longer fringe—it’s becoming mainstream.
Today, it is the Republican Party that stands as Israel’s most steadfast ally in the U.S., defending the Jewish state against international condemnation, safeguarding military aid, and prioritizing the fight against campus anti-Semitism.
By now, these realities should have hit home to American Jews who still care about Israel and the safety of their fellow Jews, compelling them to reconsider their blind loyalty to a party that has turned its back on the Jewish state.
Loyalty has its limits. What will it take to wake up American Jewry?
