Another Democrat turns on Israel: Jewish Rep. Nadler says Israel commits ‘mass murder’, vows to block weapon sales

Jerry Nadler (78), the longest-serving Jewish member of the U.S. Congress, said Israel is committing war crimes and vowed to block the sale of offensive weapons to the Jewish state, as he announced he would end his political career at the end of his term, in 2026.

The veteran representative, who has been seen as a defender of Israel on the Democrat side of the aisle across his 34-year congressional career, explained his decision in an interview with the New York Times (NYT), which was published on Monday.

Nadler said that “Watching the Biden thing really said something about the necessity for generational change in the party, and I think I want to respect that.”

Regarding Israel and the Gaza War, Nadler blamed Israel’s “brutal” way of fighting for turning Democrats against it “to a very major extent.”

“I don’t know what to say at this point,” he said. “I can’t defend what Israel is doing.”

He added that while he doesn’t agree that Israel is committing “genocide,” the country’s military was “without question” committing mass murder and war crimes under the leadership of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whom he has often criticized.

In July, Nadler spoke at the “Jews Cry Out: Let Food into Gaza Rally,” calling Netanyahu “the main obstacle to ending the war and bringing the hostages home” while lamenting his “pathologically narcissistic, monomaniacal politics.”

He also said that “Netanyahu’s reign has brought horrific new images to our screens. Scenes of hunger and devastation, famine and drought, displacement and disease, ruin and despair have consumed mainstream media.”

Speaking with the NYT, Nadler therefore vowed that he would, for the first time, join other Democrats trying to use congressional authority to block the transfer of offensive weapons to Israel.

He noted, however, that he would still support funds meant for Israel’s missile defense systems.

After Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, invasion and massacre, Nadler said he supported Israel’s right to defend itself, but since then, has often criticized the way it has been pursuing that right.

Along with his stance combining progressivism with pro-Israel advocacy, Nadler has also long promoted and spearheaded efforts to combat antisemitism.

However, he recently expressed support for far-left New York Democrat mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani.

The Democratic Socialist has been vocally supportive of the antisemitic BDS movement, has accused Israel of committing “genocide,” and has stubbornly refused to condemn the phrase “Globalize the Intifada.”

Nadler’s term runs out at the end of 2026, the same year that the 10-year U.S.-Israel Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is also set to end.

In 2016, U.S. President Obama signed the deal pledging a total of $38 billion in military assistance to Israel with bipartisan support; however, its renewal could face difficult challenges next year as support for Israel, as well as for foreign aid, has declined on both sides of the aisle.

In 2016, 405 members of the House endorsed the MOU, which is a framework rather than a deal in itself, while only four Republican representatives voted against the bill.

Pete Buttigieg, who served as transportation secretary under the last Biden administration and who could take another run at becoming president in the future, has already expressed opposition to renewing the deal.

“Both the left and the right are having deep reservations about the U.S.-Israel relationship, and that could very much have negative consequences for the MOU,” a former Biden administration State Department official told the Jewish Insider. 

In July, more than half of the 45 Democratic senators joined a largely symbolic vote led by Senator Bernie Sanders (D-VT) to block weapon transfers to Israel.

Though the resolutions failed to pass, they gained greater support among Democrats than did similar resolutions introduced by Sanders in April.

While the April resolutions failed 82 to 15 and 83 to 15, the resolutions in July failed 73 to 24 and 70 to 27, respectively.