After the Hamas terrorist attacks of October 7, 2023, Israel launched an extensive military operation in Gaza that continues 22 months later. The death toll in Gaza, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, has passed 62,000.
In the United States, support for Israel during the conflict is fueling foreign policy debates among Republicans, according to The Hill's Emily Brooks.
In an article published on August 19, Brooks reports, "Dramatic shifts in public opinion on Israel that have emerged as the war in Gaza drags on are not just affecting the left side of the political spectrum. Cracks are propagating in a Republican Party and right wing that have been historically supportive of the country. Skepticism of Israel from younger Republicans is increasing as the party debates the meaning of 'America First,' a dynamic that's being reflected on some of the biggest conservative stages and megaphones even as other Republicans double down on their Israel support."
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Two GOP lawmakers who have grown openly critical of Israel's actions in Gaza are Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Georgia) and Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Kentucky).
Greene, Brooks reports, is even using the word "genocide" to describe conditions in Gaza. And Massie told The Hill, "I think people are being more vocal now. They’re probably saying things they thought before but were afraid to say, and now that more people are saying them, it’s sort of a cascade effect."
But Morton Klein, president of the Zionist Organization of America, believes that Massie and Greene are atypical of House Republicans where Israel and Gaza are concerned.
Massie and Green, Brooks notes, are approaching foreign policy from an "America First" perspective.
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Read Emily Brooks' full article for The Hill at this link.