“Puppies and rainbows”: Jeffries denies Democrats are divided on Israel
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House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. Photo: ALLISON BAILEY/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) on Wednesday pushed back on the notion that Democrats are divided on Israel, quipping that it's "nothing but puppies and rainbows" on his side of the aisle.
Why it matters: Since the onset of the war in Gaza, Republicans have repeatedly held votes aimed at splintering Democrats on the issue and going after those who vote against any pro-Israel measures.
- Just last week, 16 Democrats – many in swing districts, broke with their party on a bill to force President Biden to unpause arms shipments to Israel.
- Nearly four dozen House Democrats voted for a standalone GOP Israel aid bill in February despite opposition from the White House, and Democrats were split in half on an antisemitism vote earlier this month.
Driving the news: Asked about many Democrats objecting to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressing Congress as others voice support for the idea, Jeffries said "the divide is overstated."
- "The Republicans have repeatedly tried to make Israel a partisan political issue and divide Democrats, and they have failed," the New York Democrat added.
- Pressed further, Jeffries stressed that "unity is different from unanimity. Unanimity occurs when you are part of a cult," blasting Republicans for attending Trump's trial in New York to display their loyalty.
- Jeffries also argued that Republicans' divisions are far more profound than Democrats', noting that this party provided the majority of the votes to save a foreign aid bill that included funding for Israel.
The other side: "We agree with Jeffries that Democrats are unified – unified against Israel," National Republican Congressional Committee spokesperson Will Reinert told Axios.
- Reinert pointed to the vast majority of House Democrats voting against the GOP's bill to force the shipment of offensive weaponry to Israel last week.
What's next: More displays of Democrats splitting on Israel could soon be on the way.
- If Netanyahu is invited to address Congress, many progressives have told Axios they would likely boycott the speech.
- A bipartisan effort to sanction the International Criminal Court for seeking arrest warrants against senior Israeli officials is already drawing discomfort from some Democrats.
Editor's Note: This story has ben updated with additional reporting.
