Likely next US House speaker reiterates call for ‘dramatic change’ needed on Israel
Hakeem Jeffries says status quo 'unacceptable,' urges 'Palestinian state that provides dignity and self-determination for the Palestinians' alongside 'Jewish and democratic' Israel
US House of Representatives Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries called Thursday for “dramatic change” in the Middle East and reiterated his support for a two-state solution for Israel and the Palestinians.
Jeffries, a New York Democrat, is expected to be the next House speaker.
“The status quo is unacceptable, and we need dramatic change. And that looks like, as far as I’m concerned, making sure you have 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 Palestinians,” he said at a weekly press conference.
Next year, Democratic leaders will have the lead in writing bills and deciding what legislation comes up for a vote, although Republican President Donald Trump retains the power to veto measures passed by Congress. It takes two-thirds majorities in both the House and Senate to overcome a veto.
Many of the winning Democrats had campaigned against military aid to Israel and the US-Israeli war with Iran, issues expected to get greater scrutiny in Congress next year.
Washington has historically supported a negotiated two-state solution, although the Trump administration has focused on its own plan for Gaza and a broader Middle East settlement.
The death toll in Gaza amid the war sparked by the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, terror onslaught and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s embrace of Trump and other Republicans had already strained decades of bipartisan support for Israel, which over the past decade has seen a sharp drop in support among Democrats. Many younger Republicans in the past few years have also begun to move away from Israel.
Jeffries called for “dramatic change” in the West Bank, Gaza and in the Memorandum of Understanding with Israel, which provides $3.8 billion in US military aid to Israel each year and expires in September 2028. Trump has declared the military assistance will cease by the end of the year, while Netanyahu has said it would be phased out “gradually.”
The comments on Thursday echoed remarks previously made by Jeffries, who has long been a moderate voice on Israel within the party. During the campaign, he called for “a meaningful change in direction” in a letter to Democrats.