Representatives Jared Moskowitz of Florida, Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida and Wesley Bell of Missouri were appointed to key subcommittees on Tuesday, placing them in influential positions over issues involving US foreign policy and national security, Al Jazeera reported.
Moskowitz was named the top Democrat on the committee’s Middle East and North Africa Subcommittee, replacing Representative Brad Sherman of California. The position gives him a significant role in shaping congressional debate over US policy toward Israel and the wider Middle East.
Wasserman Schultz was appointed to the oversight and intelligence subcommittee, while Bell was assigned to the Western Hemisphere subcommittee.
All three lawmakers recently defeated progressive Democratic challengers in their respective primaries. Their opponents had made the lawmakers’ support for Israel a central issue in their campaigns.
The appointments have triggered criticism from some Democrats, who argue that the party’s leadership is failing to respond to changing attitudes among its voters.
Polling indicates that Americans have become increasingly critical of Israel, particularly among Democratic voters, amid Israel’s war in Gaza.
A March Pew Research Center poll found that 60 percent of US adults held an unfavourable view of Israel, compared with 42 percent in 2022.
A more recent CNN-SSRS survey found that 54 percent of respondents would be open to supporting a candidate who favoured cutting US aid to Israel. Among Democratic-leaning voters, support for such a candidate reached 70 percent.
Representative Rashida Tlaib, a prominent critic of US support for Israel, said the committee appointments ignored the preferences of Democratic voters.
She accused party leaders of continuing to support lawmakers who back US funding for Israel despite what she described as growing opposition to the policy among the Democratic base.
The backlash reflects a broader struggle within the Democratic Party over US policy toward Israel as the 2026 midterm elections approach.
Progressive and pro-Palestinian candidates have scored several notable victories in Democratic primaries this year, including Michigan Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed, who defeated a pro-Israel rival.
Former Obama administration official Ben Rhodes also criticised the committee appointments, arguing that they showed Democratic leaders were out of step with voters.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a major US Muslim advocacy organisation, likewise condemned the decision, saying it demonstrated a disregard for public opinion.
House Democratic leaders, however, defended the appointments.
Representative Gregory Meeks of New York, who helped select the lawmakers, said he looked forward to working with them and praised their experience in national security and diplomacy.
The political stakes could become even higher if Democrats regain control of the House in November’s midterm elections. Under a Democratic majority, Moskowitz could become chair of the Middle East and North Africa Subcommittee.
Moskowitz, who has consistently opposed placing conditions on US military aid to Israel, said he would focus on strengthening US ties with Israel and Gulf allies, promoting regional peace and advancing American diplomacy.
The appointments come as Democrats confront a growing divide between their traditional support for Israel and an increasingly vocal part of their electorate demanding changes to US policy toward the country.
