Rep. Jake Auchincloss (D-Mass.), who is Jewish and whose district has the highest proportion of Jews in New England, defended his vote to cut off U.S. military aid to Israel on Thursday by accusing U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of destroying the aid agreement when they began the war against Iran.
“At the heart of foreign military financing was a deal: America ensures qualitative military edge for Israel to fight terrorists,” and “Israel never asks Americans to wage its wars,” Auchincloss stated on Thursday. “Netanyahu and Trump broke that deal with this Iran debacle.”
Auchincloss was one of 103 Democrats who voted in favor of an amendment from Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) on Wednesday to end $3.3 billion in annual military aid to the Jewish state.
The congressman represents Massachusetts’s 4th Congressional District, which includes Newton and Brookline, both of which have large Jewish populations. (JNS sought comment from Auchincloss.)
“This is the statement a Dem lawmaker releases when they’re trying to appease the rising anti-Israel forces within the party,” wrote Josh Kraushaar, editor-in-chief of Jewish Insider, in response to the statement from Auchincloss.
The congressman responded. “This is not about politics. American soldiers are dead,” he wrote.
Auchincloss had previously received endorsements from pro-Israel groups, including AIPAC, and was noted for being willing to disagree with fellow Democrats over his support for Israel.
Days after the Oct. 7 attacks, Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) was booed for saying at a pro-Israel rally in Boston that “there must be a deescalation of the current violence.”
Speaking after Markey, Auchincloss said that “deescalation is not possible when they are taking hostages.” He received cheers and applause.
After Wednesday’s vote, AIPAC removed fundraising links from its website for Auchincloss and 14 other Democrats, who backed the measure to end Israel aid.
