DNC considering resolution banning US military aid to Israel
The Intercept reported that while a recent Gallup poll indicated that only eight percent of Democrat Party members support the Israeli military's operations in Gaza, Democratic National Committee leaders have traditionally opposed calls to ban U.S. military aid to Israel.
Allison Minnerly, a 26-year-old member of the Democratic National Committee, told The Intercept that Democrat leaders could alienate younger Americans by voting against a resolution she has sponsored to symbolically oppose continued military aid to Israel.
'Our voters, our base, they are saying that they do not want U.S. dollars to enable further death and starvation anywhere across the world, particularly in Gaza,' Minnerly told The Intercept. 'I don't think it should be a hard decision for us to say that clearly.'
The resolution proposed by Minnerly calls for Democrat members to support an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, an arms embargo, and the suspension of military aid for Israel. The resolution also calls for Democrat lawmakers in Congress to recognize Palestine as its own country.
READ MORE: New details revealed on Israel's tragic strike on Catholic church in Gaza
In response to the resolution calling for a ban on U.S. military aid to Israel, Brian Romick, the president and CEO of Democratic Majority for Israel, released a statement, saying, 'Unfortunately, there has been widespread amnesia about the Israel-Hamas war and how we got here. It's Hamas that started this war and is perpetuating the suffering by not accepting the ceasefire deal.'
Romick claimed that the resolution proposed by Minnerly is a 'flawed' and 'irresponsible' resolution that could lead to division in the Democrat Party.
'Shockingly, this resolution does not even mention the barbaric attacks of October 7 nor the terrorist group Hamas at all,' Romick stated. 'It calls on members of Congress to unilaterally recognize a Palestinian state which would only reward Hamas' terrorism. It also wrongly calls for an arms embargo on Israel which will only prolong the war and extend the suffering.'
Romick warned that if the Democratic National Committee advances the resolution, it will 'provide a gift to Republicans' ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
In contrast to Minnerly's resolution, Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin has proposed a resolution that calls on Hamas to release the Israeli hostages and that calls for a 'two-state solution' in the Middle East. Martin's resolution does not include a ban on U.S. aid to Israel.
Minnerly told The Intercept that the Democratic National Committee is currently scheduled to vote on the contrasting resolutions on August 26.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
29 minutes ago
- New York Post
Trump vows US ban on wind and solar projects as energy bills soar: ‘Days of stupidity are over'
President Donald Trump declared war on renewable energy Tuesday, vowing the federal government will block new wind and solar projects while electricity bills across America skyrocket at twice the rate of inflation. 'Any State that has built and relied on WINDMILLS and SOLAR for power are seeing RECORD BREAKING INCREASES IN ELECTRICITY AND ENERGY COSTS. THE SCAM OF THE CENTURY!' Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. 'We will not approve wind or farmer destroying Solar. The days of stupidity are over in the USA!!! MAGA'. Advertisement 4 Trump declared war on renewable energy, vowing the federal government will block new wind and solar projects. He didn't mention that surging electricity demand from AI and data centers is a key driver behind soaring bills. AFP via Getty Images 4 'We will not approve wind or farmer destroying Solar. The days of stupidity are over in the USA!!! MAGA,' Trump wrote on Truth Social. @realDonaldTrump/TruthSocial The fiery proclamation comes as American households face brutal electricity price hikes. So far this year, electricity prices have risen between 5% and 9% — with some states and metro areas facing even higher increases. Advertisement Maine residents saw bills explode 36.3% higher, while Connecticut ratepayers absorbed an 18.4% spike and Utah families faced a 15.2% increases. The Energy Information Administration forecasts electricity prices will climb 13% from 2022 to 2025 — the fastest pace in decades. The average American household's annual bill is expected to rise by about $219 in 2025 versus 2022, to around $1,900/year. Advertisement Surging electricity demand from AI and data centers is a key driver behind soaring bills, along with aging grid infrastructure that utilities are modernizing and passing costs to consumers. Rising natural gas prices — used for power generation — add more upward pressure on rates. 4 Trump didn't mention that surging electricity demand from AI and data centers is a key driver behind soaring bills. Soonthorn – Trump's renewable energy crackdown has already delivered devastating blows to the industry. Advertisement On July 4, he signed into law the 'One Big Beautiful Bill' that kills the popular 30% federal solar tax credit for homeowners. The newly enacted law gives Americans just months to install residential solar systems before losing thousands in tax breaks. His administration also froze the $7 billion Solar for All program, a Biden-era initiative that sought to make solar power accessible to low-income Americans. Trump also slammed the brakes on new wind and solar permits on federal land. Offshore wind leasing got the axe entirely. Trump's Commerce Department escalated the renewable energy offensive in August by extending and increasing tariffs on wind turbines and components. Wind turbines now face a punishing 50% tariff rate across 407 new categories. 4 Trump also slammed the brakes on new wind and solar permits on federal land. Offshore wind leasing got the axe entirely. Thomas – Advertisement The administration has also imposed strict new permitting requirements for wind farms, causing delays, permit freezes and outright project cancellations. High-profile casualties include Idaho's Lava Ridge Wind Project and New Jersey's Atlantic Shores development. Projects that already received approval can still be reviewed or revoked under the new rules. Advertisement Trump consistently brands wind and solar as 'expensive' and 'unreliable,' arguing government subsidies burden taxpayers and drive up energy costs. But the renewable energy industry warns these policy reversals threaten thousands of jobs and could slow clean energy growth just as demand explodes from data centers, electric vehicles and artificial intelligence.
Associated Press
30 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Lebanon releases Israeli citizen held in detention for a year
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — An Israeli citizen detained in Lebanon has been returned to Israel after more than a year in detention, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said on Thursday. There was little information given about the man, identified as Salah Abu-Hussein, an Arab citizen of Israel. His imprisonment had not garnered public attention in Israel or Lebanon. Israeli media reported that the man's family had reported him missing around a year ago and was unaware he was in Lebanon. Four Lebanese security and judicial officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the case, said the man had entered the country illegally by crossing the land border between the two countries and was then caught by Lebanese security officials. At the time of his crossing, Israeli forces and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah were engaged in ongoing low-level clashes in the border region, which escalated into a full-scale war in September 2024. It was halted by a U.S.-brokered ceasefire two months later. Abu-Hussein's release was negotiated in secret over the past few months in cooperation with the Red Cross, according to Gal Hirsch, Netanyahu's coordinator for the Hostages and the Missing, who is also Israel's point of contact for the hostages in Gaza. On Thursday, Lebanese Authorities handed Abu-Hussein to Hirsch at the Rosh Hanikra crossing between Lebanon and Israel, which is not open to the public. Lebanon and Israel do not have diplomatic relations and Israeli citizens are prohibited from entering Lebanon under Lebanese law, with rare exceptions for Palestinians holding Israeli citizenship. Netanyahu hailed the return of Abu-Hussein. 'This is a positive step and a sign of things to come,' he said after Abu-Hussein returned. There was no official comment from the Lebanese government on his release. A group advocating for Lebanese citizens held in Israeli prisons denounced the move. The Representative Committee of Lebanese Prisoners and Freed Prisoners said in a statement that 19 Lebanese citizens are imprisoned in Israel and called the release of the Israeli citizen by Lebanon 'blatant betrayal.' ————— Sewell reported from Beirut.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
UK joins calls for Israel to allow foreign journalists into Gaza
The UK has called on Israel to allow foreign journalists to enter Gaza as Tel Aviv prepares to step up military operations in the territory. In a statement alongside 25 other members of the Media Freedom Coalition, the UK urged Israel to 'allow immediate independent foreign media access and afford protection for journalists operating in Gaza'. The coalition said: 'Journalists and media workers play an essential role in putting the spotlight on the devastating reality of war. Access to conflict zones is vital to carrying out this role effectively. 'We oppose all attempts to restrict press freedom and block entry to journalists during conflicts. 'We also strongly condemn all violence directed against journalists and media workers, especially the extremely high number of fatalities, arrests and detentions.' Foreign media have been banned from entering Gaza since October 2023, other than for brief, tightly controlled trips escorted by the Israeli military, while numerous Palestinian journalists in the region have been killed. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), 184 journalists and other media workers have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza since the renewal of hostilities in 2023. The CPJ has accused Israel of 'engaging in the deadliest and most deliberate effort to kill and silence journalists' the organisation had documented. Israel denies deliberately targeting reporters and has accused some of the journalists killed of being 'terrorists'. The Media Freedom Coalition statement called for attacks on media workers to be investigated and those responsible prosecuted, and reiterated calls for an immediate ceasefire, the release of the remaining Israeli hostages and 'unhindered flow of humanitarian aid' into Gaza. Other signatories alongside the UK included Australia, Germany, Ireland, New Zealand, the Netherlands and Ukraine. The statement comes a day after Israel called up 60,000 reservists ahead of an expanded military operation in Gaza City, an expansion condemned by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer as 'wrong'. The UK has also condemned Israeli approval, granted on Wednesday, for a settlement project in the occupied West Bank that would effectively cut the territory in two. Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the E1 settlement plan, which would sever one of the last geographical links between the northern and southern West Bank, would 'mark a flagrant breach of international law and critically undermine the two-state solution'. Meanwhile, the Foreign Office announced sanctions on an Iranian businessman accused of illicitly trading in Russian and Iranian oil. Hossein Shamkhani, son of one of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei's top advisers, was added to the UK sanctions list on Thursday along with four companies connected to him. The move follows the imposition of sanctions on Mr Shamkhani by the United States, which said he used a network of companies to 'launder billions in profits from global sales of Iranian and Russian crude oil and other petroleum products'. US Treasury secretary Scott Bessent said: 'The Shamkhani family's shipping empire highlights how the Iranian regime elites leverage their positions to accrue massive wealth and fund the regime's dangerous behaviour.'
