After the Democrats' victory: the demand for a dramatic change in aid to Israel

House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries calls for a dramatic shift in US policy toward Israel, including in the security assistance agreement, but stops short of supporting a reduction in security and intelligence cooperation.

Nine days after the Democrats' victory in the US elections, House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries called for a dramatic change in American policy toward Israel, including in the security assistance agreement, in the Gaza Strip, and in the West Bank. However, he refrained from explicitly supporting an initiative to reduce security and intelligence cooperation between the two countries. At a press conference in Washington, Jeffries was asked whether he would support the demand of 12 senators, led by Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen, to remove from the defense budget bill provisions that require the administration to expand cooperation with Israel. Jeffries replied that he had not yet spoken with Van Hollen but emphasized that things in the Middle East must change dramatically. He supported a law to protect against violence in the West Bank and called for a change in the security memorandum of understanding, which is set to expire in 2028. At the same time, Jeffries sharply attacked the war in Iran, which he called "a reckless and expensive war of choice that was a disaster for the American people," and made clear that Democrats oppose allocating additional funds for the war.