Key facts
- Jeffries said the status quo is unacceptable and called for a safe and secure Israel beside an independent Palestinian state.
- Jeffries said change was needed in the West Bank, Gaza and the Memorandum of Understanding with Israel.
- The memorandum provides $3.8 billion in US military aid to Israel each year and expires in September 2028.
- Democrats are preparing to take control of both houses of Congress on January 3.
- Jeffries, a New York Democrat, is expected to be the next House speaker.
- Many winning Democrats campaigned against military aid to Israel and the US-Israeli war with Iran.
US House of Representatives Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries called on November 12 for "dramatic change" in the Middle East and restated his support for a two-state solution for Israel and the Palestinians, at a weekly press conference in Washington.
"The status quo is unacceptable, and we need dramatic change," Jeffries said, describing 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 also called for change in the West Bank, Gaza and the Memorandum of Understanding with Israel, which provides $3.8 billion in US military aid to Israel each year and expires in September 2028.
Democrats' sweeping victories in last week's midterm elections could lead to the curbing of US support for Israel, the report said, putting attention on party leaders' views as they prepare to take control of both houses of Congress on January 3. Jeffries, a New York Democrat, is expected to be the next House speaker.
Democratic leaders will lead the writing of bills and decide what legislation comes up for a vote next year, though Republican President Donald Trump retains the power to veto measures passed by Congress; overriding a veto takes two-thirds majorities in both chambers. Many winning Democrats 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 report said the civilian toll of Israel's campaign in Gaza and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's embrace of Trump and other Republicans had already strained decades of bipartisan support for Israel.