WASHINGTON: House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries called on Thursday for “dramatic change” in the Middle East, restating his support for a two-state solution and saying the U.S. military aid agreement with Israel should change as it runs toward its 2028 expiry. Jeffries is expected to become speaker in January after Democrats won the House in the midterm elections.
“The status quo is unacceptable, and we need dramatic change,” Jeffries said at his weekly press conference at the Capitol. “And that looks like, as far as I’m concerned, making sure you have 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.”
Jeffries said change was needed in the West Bank and Gaza and to the Memorandum of Understanding under which the United States provides $3.8 billion a year in military aid to Israel, $38 billion over ten years. The agreement expires in September 2028. He did not call for cutting the aid outright, and nothing he proposed is law: any change would need a new agreement negotiated with the administration or action by Congress.
The remarks came after a reporter asked whether Jeffries backed Senator Chris Van Hollen’s call to remove provisions deepening U.S. defense cooperation with Israel from the annual defense bill. Jeffries said he had not spoken with Van Hollen and did not directly endorse the proposal, saying Democrats would work as a caucus toward what he called a just and lasting peace.
At the same press conference, Jeffries called the war with Iran a disaster and said House Democrats uniformly oppose more money for it. The Trump administration did not immediately respond to his Middle East remarks. Washington has historically supported a negotiated two-state solution, and Jeffries’ comments set up a likely fight over Israel and Iran policy when the new Congress takes over in January.
