Massie amendment drew 103 Democratic votes to cut $3.3bn in Israel aid

The statement to Haaretz is a break with an arms deal that has drawn objections from across the Democratic caucus. In July, Representative Thomas Massie, a Republican, forced a House vote on an amendment to cut $3.3bn in security aid to Israel. Massie was the only Republican to support the amendment; 103 Democrats joined him. The US-Israel relationship still has substantial bipartisan backing, the BBC reported, but support has been softening among Democrats.

Gregory Meeks of New York, the ranking Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, placed an informal hold on the proposed $2.8bn sale, saying he would not support the transfer of the bombs. In a written statement, Meeks said he remained committed to Israel’s security but that the deal “raises grave, unresolved concerns about how these munitions could be used in densely populated areas of Gaza and Lebanon.” He said it reflected Congress’s “responsibility to ensure that US-funded weapons are used lawfully, responsibly, and with meaningful safeguards for human life.”

The BBC reported that the US is planning to supply Israel with 40,000 of what Meeks called “some of the most destructive munitions in our arsenal” — 2,000-pound bombs manufactured by General Dynamics. Israel’s use of General Dynamics-manufactured 2,000lb bombs in Gaza has drawn international anger because of their devastating effects in densely populated civilian areas.

In 2024, then-President Joe Biden paused a shipment of the bombs to Israel; the Trump administration reversed the hold after President Donald Trump returned to office last year.

The supply is reported to be under Foreign Military Financing, a US taxpayer-funded program that provides billions of dollars each year for Israel and other allies to buy US-made weapons.

Meeks’s hold runs through a procedural channel rather than a formal veto. Under State Department rules, lawmakers are informed of arms sales exceeding a set dollar amount and may register an informal hold. The president can go ahead with the deal if he declares that an emergency requires an immediate sale. Blocking the transfer outright would require a veto-proof resolution passed jointly by two-thirds of the House and Senate.

The BBC has asked the Israeli Embassy for comment.