Jeffries calls for sweeping changes to US military aid for Israel following midterm victory

Nine days after Democrats won a sweeping victory in the US midterm elections, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries on Thursday called for what he described as dramatic change in America's approach to Israel, covering military assistance, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

Speaking at a press briefing in Washington, Jeffries was asked whether he supported an initiative led by Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen and 11 other senators to strip provisions from the National Defense Authorization Act that would deepen US-Israel defense and intelligence cooperation.

Jeffries did not endorse the proposal but made clear he considers the current approach unacceptable. "I haven't had a conversation with Senator Van Hollen, but what I have said is that things have to dramatically change over in the Middle East," he said.

"We need dramatic change in the West Bank, which is why I strongly support the West Bank Violence Protection Act. We need dramatic change in Gaza, and we need dramatic change with respect to the Memorandum of Understanding as it winds down, all of which I've previously said publicly," Jeffries added.

The existing US-Israel Memorandum of Understanding provides Israel with $38 billion in military assistance over ten years and expires in 2028. Jeffries has previously urged a reconsideration of the framework that would govern future American security assistance to Israel, though on Thursday he did not explicitly back removing the disputed NDAA provisions or cutting off military aid.

"We'll work as a caucus to make sure that we can bring about the just and lasting peace that Israelis and Palestinians deserve over in the Middle East," Jeffries said. "The status quo is unacceptable," he added, describing his vision of "a safe and secure Israel living side by side as a Jewish and democratic state with an independent Palestinian state that provides dignity and self-determination for the Palestinian people."

Jeffries also leveled sharp criticism at President Donald Trump's war against Iran, calling it a "reckless and costly war of choice" that had damaged American interests. "It's been a disaster for the American people. It's raised costs, made life more expensive," he said. "The American people are less safe. The Iranian regime is stronger now than it was before the war. We should have never entered into it."

He pledged that Democrats would do everything possible to end the conflict, noting his party had opposed the military campaign from the start, and reiterated opposition to additional war funding. "House Democrats have uniformly opposed providing any additional money to Donald Trump's war machine, to Pete Hegseth's war machine over in the Middle East," he said. "Taxpayer dollars should be spent to make life more affordable for everyday Americans, not to drop bombs overseas in an endless war."

Asked whether Democrats would use upcoming government funding negotiations to force an end to the conflict, Jeffries declined to commit to that approach, pointing to ongoing discussions led by Representative Rosa DeLauro ahead of the December 11 funding deadline.

With Democrats preparing to take control of the House in January, Jeffries' remarks indicate that US policy toward Israel and the war in Iran could become major flashpoints between Congress and the Trump administration.