Progressives Slam Appointment of Pro-Israel Lawmaker to US House Foreign Affairs Committee
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by Corey Walker
US Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL). Photo: USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
The appointment of US Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) to the powerful House Foreign Affairs Committee has drawn backlash from a chorus of progressives and other anti-Israel voices, representing the latest internal conflict among Democrats regarding the Jewish state.
On Tuesday, Moskowitz, along with pro-Israel Democratic Reps. Wesley Bell (MO) and Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL) were appointed to the subcommittee overseeing the Middle East and North Africa. Moskowitz will serve as the subcommittee’s top-ranking Democrat.
House leadership also appointed Rep. Marc Pocan (D-WI), a progressive who accused the Jewish state of “genocide,” to the committee, in what observers argue represents a fig leaf to the growing prominence of anti-Israel voices in the party.
“I’m honored to be named ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa,” Moskowitz, who is Jewish, said in a statement. “At a moment of enormous change across the region, 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. I’m ready to get to work.”
The news of his ascent into the powerful foreign affairs committee was met with widespread backlash among progressive pundits and organizations, arguing that Moskowitz and pro-Israel Democrats are not aligned with the perspective of party voters.
The Institute for Middle East Understanding (IMEU), an anti-Israel think tank, condemned the Democratic Party for selecting Moskowitz and other pro-Israel Democrats to the committee.
According to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), “some of CAIR’s current leadership had early connections with organizations that are or were affiliated with Hamas.” CAIR has disputed the accuracy of the ADL’s claim and asserted that it “unequivocally condemn[s] all acts of terrorism, whether carried out by al-Qa’ida, the Real IRA, FARC, Hamas, ETA, or any other group designated by the US Department of State as a ‘Foreign Terrorist Organization.'”
The outrage over Moskowitz’s appointment represents for some observers another indication that the ongoing internal conflict over the Jewish state among Democrats is far from over. Recent polls suggest that Democrats have generally become much more hostile toward Israel in recent years, with a majority of the party believing that the country has committed “genocide” against Palestinians in Gaza.
Supporters of Israel note the country has allowed large amounts of humanitarian aid into Gaza, facilitated a polio vaccination drive in the enclave, and repeatedly dropped leaflets and notified civilians in other ways of impending attacks so they can get out of harm’s way.
