Divisions within the Democratic Party continue to grow as former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has joined a call by a coalition of far-left members of Congress for the United States to cease sending weapons to Israel.
The group points to a recent incident where seven aid workers were killed in the Gaza Strip by an Israeli drone strike.
A letter to President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, released on Friday and signed by 40 of the leftiest members of Congress, urged the pair to withhold a recently approved arms package “and any future offensive arms transfers until a full investigation into the airstrike is completed.”
“If this strike is found to have violated U.S. or international law, we urge you to continue withholding these transfers until those responsible are held accountable,” it continues.
“We also urge you to withhold these transfers if Israel fails to sufficiently mitigate harm to innocent civilians in Gaza, including aid workers, and if it fails to facilitate – or arbitrarily denies or restricts – the transport and delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza.”
It was sent by Wisconsin Rep. Mark Pocan, Massachusets Rep. Jim McGovern and Illinois Rep. Jan Schakowsky alongside signatures from 37 other Democrats that included “squad” members Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rashida Tlaib and Jamaal Bowman.
Another signature was Nancy Pelosi’s.
Nancy Pelosi joins call for Biden to stop transfer of US weapons to Israel.
A letter was signed by Pelosi and 36 other Democrats including Representatives Barbara Lee, Rashida Tlaib and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. pic.twitter.com/JiLBlVukIh— Rita Rosenfeld (@rheytah) April 6, 2024
The message to Biden and Blinken is the latest in a series of disagreements within the Democratic Party.
Will the divisions in the Democratic Party continue to grow?
Different members of Congress have consistently protested American support of Israel throughout the ongoing conflict in Gaza, pushing against aid to the longtime U.S. ally.
Pelosi, who held the position of speaker twice, first during the Obama presidency, then during the Trump presidency, rose to the top of the House Democrats and remained there so long because she represented the party’s moderates.
For her to take the side of the progressives is a major shift that could signal the rest of the party is lurching just as far left.
And the choice will become clearer for the American public.
Biden has begun to be harder on Israel, threatening Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the recent incident.
At the moment, however, they are only threats. The White House has taken no action.
The future is unclear though.
Blinken has said that the future of American policy around Israel depends on “changes that we need to see.”
There was no discussion on what these changes are, simply the need for them.
It would seem that Biden and his administration simply intend to follow wherever his party drags him, which seems to be increasingly further towards the radical end.
