The amendment failed despite\u00a0nearly half of Democrats supporting it, reflecting the growing rupture between the party and Israel.<\/p>\n
Smith, from Washington\u2019s 9th District, is the Democratic ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee. He is also emblematic of the widening rift, as he previously received support from the pro-Israel lobby AIPAC<\/a> before taking a more critical posture toward the country.<\/p>\n Although he voted to halt the military assistance, Smith said in his statement that he was \u201cdeeply concerned about the tactics used by those on the far left to advocate cutting off aid to Israel.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tGet The Times of Israel’s Daily Edition \t\t\t\tBy signing up, you agree to the terms<\/a><\/p>\n Smith said his family\u2019s home was vandalized<\/a>, a fire was set in his driveway, one of his staff members was assaulted, activists shut down town hall meetings and his neighbors\u2019 \u201clives have been disrupted\u201d by late-night demonstrations.<\/p>\n \u201cThose who engage in this type of behavior model a dangerous form of corrosive politics that seeks to intimidate those who disagree with them,\u201d Smith said. \u201cWe must be able to have civil discourse if we want to solve difficult problems.\u201d<\/p>\n My statement on my vote in support of Rep. Massie’s Amendment #8. pic.twitter.com\/gLoeYWiCNv<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Rep. Adam Smith (@RepAdamSmith) July 16, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Protesters last year demonstrated<\/a> outside Smith\u2019s office, demanding that he \u201cstop arming Israel\u201d and charging the congressman with \u201cgenocide.\u201d\n<\/p>\n In 2024, when AIPAC backed Smith\u2019s reelection campaign, anti-Israel demonstrators occupied<\/a> his office, accusing him of abetting \u201cethnic cleansing\u201d and \u201cgenocide.\u201d<\/p>\n In his statement, Smith said cutting off aid to Israel was \u201ca very close vote\u201d for him, that he was a supporter of Israel and recognized the existential threats posed to it by Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran. He cited the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, onslaught that launched the Gaza war.<\/p>\n But he added that he was \u201cincredibly frustrated\u201d by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu\u2019s government and its \u201ctotal war approach\u201d in Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon and Syria. He called the Israeli response to West Bank settler violence \u201cindefensible\u201d and said he was \u201cabsolutely appalled\u201d by far-right Ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben Gvir.<\/p>\n \u201cI have an obligation to try to get the attention of the Netanyahu government to force them to change their actions,\u201d he said. \u201cMy vote to stop $3.3 billion in military assistance to Israel is my effort to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n Smith is running in a primary race against two anti-Israel candidates to his left, Kshama Sawant and Melissa Chaudhry. Sawant organized<\/a> anti-Israel protests outside Smith\u2019s home.<\/p>\n Far-left anti-Israel candidates have\u00a0won<\/a> several Democratic primaries in recent weeks, including by defeating pro-Israel incumbents.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t The war with Iran has been draining for all of us in Israel. But when I heard about a high casualty incident \u2013 ballistic missile impacts in Arad and Dimona that left nearly 200 people wounded \u2013 I drank a cup of coffee, packed a bag, and headed south.<\/p>\n There, I spoke with Shilgit, the head of an after-school program for underprivileged youth. Standing outside her destroyed center, Shilgit said it was a miracle that no children were hurt and spoke about the community coming together in the hours since.<\/p>\n As a Times of Israel reporter, I\u2019m committed to telling stories of resilience like Shilgit\u2019s. But my colleagues and I can’t do this alone. If you value work like this,<\/strong> please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community.<\/strong> Your financial support is essential to keep real human reporting like this going.<\/p>\n \u2014 Stav Levaton, military reporter<\/strong><\/p>\n \t\t\t
\n\t\t\tby email and never miss our top stories\n\t\t<\/p>\n\n
\n\t\t\t\tWe can’t do this work alone.\t\t\t<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Untitled-design-4-200x200.jpg\" "\\"\\"\/")
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\tYes, I’ll join\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/334x334-200x200.png\" "\\"\\"\/")
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n