U.S. President Trump Expresses Shock at Decreasing Influence of Israeli Lobby within Congress
In an Oval Office interview with the conservative U.S. news site the Daily Caller, published on Sept. 1, former President Donald Trump expressed surprise at the diminished influence of Israel's lobby in Congress.
Trump attributed this change to growing numbers of Americans, both Democrats and Republicans, voicing criticism of the Israeli army's offensive in Gaza. Half of the respondents in a Quinnipiac University poll, including 77% of Democrats, said Israel is committing genocide in Gaza.
The opposition to sending additional U.S. military aid to Israel is the highest since the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks by Hamas, according to the same poll. A staggering 60% of voters oppose sending more aid.
The growing bloc within the MAGA-aligned "America First" Republicans is skeptical of support for Israel, as noted in Trump's interview. Trump mentioned Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and other progressive lawmakers as vocal critics of U.S. military support for Israel.
In recent years, there has been a shift among some interest groups in the USA regarding Israel, notably with increasing scrutiny and criticism from progressive and younger Jewish Americans as well as some Democrats. This dynamic reflects a broader re-evaluation within American political and social groups relating to Israel.
Prominent politicians affected by these changes include figures like Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Ilhan Omar, who have expressed more critical views of Israeli policies compared to the traditionally strong bipartisan support for Israel in the US Congress.
This shift was evident in a House vote in July, where Greene, along with Thomas Massie and progressive Democrats such as Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib, failed to strip $500 million in missile defense funding for Israel. In the Senate last month, more than half of Democrats backed measures to block U.S. arms sales to Israel.
Trump stated that Israel once had the strongest lobby in Congress, but this is no longer the case. He claimed that these critics have changed the political landscape regarding Israel's lobby in Congress.
Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene publicly called Israel's actions in Gaza a "genocide." Trump's comments do not specify the current level of influence that Israel's lobby holds in Congress. However, the political landscape regarding Israel's influence in U.S. politics continues to shift, as indicated by the growing criticism of Israel and the changes in congressional votes.
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