Progressives rage after Dems tap pro-Israel Moskowitz for key Middle East post
Progressives reacted strongly to House Democrats appointing Rep. Jared Moskowitz, a pro-Israel Democrat, to a key foreign affairs position overseeing the middle East and North Africa. Moskowitz’s promotion has been seen as a rebuke to the anti-israel faction within the Democratic Party, which advocates for reducing support for Israel. Critics argue that his appointment signals continued alignment wiht pro-Israel interests, notably AIPAC, and aims to check anti-Israel voices in the party. The backlash included accusations that House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries deliberately empowered a hawkish figure to serve the party’s pro-Israel agenda, further dividing Democrats over foreign policy. Some progressives questioned whether Jeffries’s decision was influenced by negotiations with Republicans or figures like Jared Kushner. The controversy highlights the growing divide within the Democratic Party over Israel, with some activists and influencers criticizing Moskowitz’s pro-Israel stance as extreme and reflecting a shift away from the party’s traditional anti-war and pro-Palestinian inclinations. If Democrats regain the house, Moskowitz’s role could significantly impact U.S. Middle East policy, intensifying intra-party conflicts over Israel support.
Progressives erupted Tuesday after House Democrats elevated Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL), a Jewish Democrat and one of the party’s most outspoken supporters of Israel, to a key foreign affairs post that could give him significant influence over Democratic Middle East policy.
Moskowitz was tapped to serve as the ranking Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa. If Democrats retake the House in November, he would be positioned to chair the panel, giving him a prominent perch over legislation and oversight involving Israel and the broader region.
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“At a moment of enormous change across the region, I’ll work to strengthen America’s relationships with Israel and our Gulf allies, expand regional peace, advance American diplomacy, and ensure our foreign policy is grounded in strength, security, and reality,” Moskowitz posted on X. “I’m ready to get to work.”
Progressives viewed the appointment as a rebuke to the Democratic Party’s increasingly prominent anti-Israel Left, which has pushed Democrats to abandon their traditionally strong support for the Jewish state.
“WTF is wrong with the Dem leadersip???” Code Pink co-founder Medea Benjamin posted on X in response to the appointment. “They know their base wants to CUT TIES with Israel, so they make the most Zionist @RepMoskowitz the new ranking member for the Middle East? They are tone deaf and so corrupt. Still wedded to AIPAC/Israel. It’s sickening.”
The fury was directed at one of the House Democratic caucus’s more prominent Jewish members, who has increasingly become a target of the party’s anti-Israel Left.
Moskowitz, a South Florida Democrat who previously served as Gov. Ron DeSantis’s (R-FL) emergency management director, has emerged as a particularly frequent foil for progressives over his outspoken defense of Israel.
The backlash over his promotion came only a week after the Democratic Socialists of America unsuccessfully attempted to oust Moskowitz in a primary. The challenge also received support from socialist influencer Hasan Piker, who is facing fresh accusations of antisemitism over his remarks about American Jews and Israel. Piker drew condemnation this week after saying Jewish Americans were provoking violence upon themselves for supporting of Israel.
Track AIPAC called the appointment of Moskowitz a “giant middle finger to the base” of the Democratic Party.
Others were even more pointed:
The backlash quickly expanded beyond Moskowitz himself, with some progressives accusing House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) of deliberately empowering a pro-Israel Democrat to check the party’s increasingly vocal anti-Israel faction.
“Hakeem Jeffries just ratf***ed every single democratic voter with a diet MAGA pro-war pro-Israel ‘Ron DeSantis democrat’ to lead on foreign policy,” Kyle Kulinski, a progressive influencer, posted on X. “HE NEEDS TO RESIGN.”
Georgia Democratic state Rep. Ruwa Romman even questioned whether the appointment of Moskowitz was “one of the things” Jeffries “agreed” with Jared Kushner on when they met over the weekend to discuss opportunities for the Trump administration to work with Democrats if they win the majority.
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The backlash underscored the widening Democratic divide over Israel, with progressive activists increasingly demanding a break from the party’s traditional support for the Jewish state.
If Democrats retake the House in November, that fight could become harder to avoid, with Moskowitz positioned to wield the gavel on one of the panels most directly involved in shaping U.S. policy toward Israel and the broader Middle East.
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