Chad Pergram reports from Capitol Hill on the increasing split within the Democratic Party regarding support for Israel. Far-left progressive candidates are advocating an anti-Israel agenda, leading to internal conflicts. Senator Chuck Schumer is avoiding questions about progressive stances, while Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman calls anti-Israel positions a ‘red line,’ threatening to leave the party. Republicans are closely observing as midterms approach.
A recent social media confrontation by two far-left House Democrats against moderate Representative Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., misfired when one mistakenly confused him with another Jewish Democrat named Josh. Gottheimer used their support for Ukraine aid to defend himself. The dispute began after Gottheimer criticized democratic socialists’ growing influence in his party. He stated, ‘The DSA are not Democrats. They’re socialists, looking to hijack the Democratic Party.’ He emphasized the strength of the Democratic ‘big tent’ but noted there is no place for those opposing core values and leaders.
Following this, Representative Summer Lee, D-Pa., accused him of being among Democrats who ‘sign bombs and vote to drop them,’ mistakenly linking Gottheimer to Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro. Shapiro, not Gottheimer, signed artillery destined for Ukraine during President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s 2024 visit to Pennsylvania, as previously reported by Fox News Digital in September 2024.
‘You know that’s the other Jewish guy named Josh, right?’ Gottheimer responded to Lee. Meanwhile, Representative Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., joined to support Lee, noting that Shapiro signed ‘the bombs you voted to be dropped.’ Neither Omar nor Lee specified a vote, but Gottheimer highlighted their votes for a $60.8 billion Ukraine aid package.
‘Ilhan, you know who else voted for it?’ Gottheimer responded, referencing an ‘Official House Roll Call’ for the April 2024 vote on H.R. 8035 and including a screenshot revealing Omar’s vote.
This exchange occurs as Gottheimer frequently accuses his party of a double standard on antisemitism. In a New York Times opinion piece, he argued that Democrats often condemn antisemitism from the right but remain quiet about leftist antisemitism, noting a ‘glaring double standard.’
The intraparty divide has expanded over support for Israel. Based on the official House roll call, Lee and Omar were among 103 Democrats supporting a failed amendment from Representative Thomas Massie, R-Ky. This amendment aimed to prohibit funds in the bill from being used for Israel and sought to cut the foreign military financing account by $3.3 billion. Gottheimer opposed the amendment.
Representative Josh Gottheimer and others in the Democratic Party are facing a challenging divide on this issue. Fox News Digital attempted to contact Gottheimer, Lee, and Omar for comments without a timely response.
Alec Schemmel, a Politics Reporter for Fox News Digital, provided additional information for this coverage. Originally from Charlotte, North Carolina, he now resides in the Washington D.C.-Baltimore Metro Area.