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Democrats eyeing the 2028 presidency are increasingly trying to seize the narrative on Israel, as they sense the politically fraught issue is likely to become a defining test for the party in its next presidential primary.
That dynamic came into sharper focus last week after House Democrats split over Rep. Thomas Massie’s (R-Ky.) amendment to cut all $3.3 billion in military and humanitarian aid to Israel from a spending bill — with 103 Democrats backing the proposal and 98 opposing it.
The measure ultimately failed, with Massie the lone Republican to support it, but the vote marked the clearest sign yet of the Democratic Party’s growing divide over the issue.
As the party wrestles with rapidly shifting politics on Israel, prospective White House candidates are increasingly staking out their own lanes on the issue while seeking to shape the Democratic Party’s approach to the Jewish state going forward.
Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) has emerged as one of the most visible voices pushing that debate. He spent much of the past week making the media rounds to discuss his recent detainment in the West Bank.
Khana even joined Fox News for a contentious interview in which he was pressed over conflicting accounts of the incident and his decision not to coordinate his itinerary with the Israeli Embassy, as is customary for members of Congress visiting close U.S. allies.
“Did you really not know that going into a restricted military area, guarded by local security forces, was going to result in your entourage getting stopped?” Fox News host Gillian Turner asked.
He disputed the premise before interjecting: “If I could just finish, please, because this should be an outrage to any American citizen, what happened.”
Khanna drew on his experience in the West Bank when explaining his vote for the Massie amendment days later, noting the Israelis he encountered were carrying American rifles.
“America provided the aid supporting the army that blocked our group on the road,” Khanna wrote in a piece published on Thursday. “I oppose selling weapons to Israel that are used to kill Palestinians or sending aid that furthers this status quo.”
But some critics speculated the robust media campaign following the incident could be tied to his presidential ambitions.
“If you’re going to announce your intention to run for presidency, why do so while bashing Israel? Why don’t you just do it here in America? That’s who the people you want to represent are — not in Israel,” Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Michael Leiter said on SiriusXM’s “The David Webb Show,” in an interview about Khanna’s claims about his trip.
Khanna, who has left the door open to a potential White House bid, did not deny that the incident had the congressman looking toward 2028.
“I’m strongly considering it,” Khanna said, when asked whether he’s running for president. “And I’m more resolved to consider it after this trip.”
Former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, a moderate Democrat widely seen as a likely 2028 contender, also sought to take control of the narrative on Israel and lay out a vision for how the U.S. and Israel can “maintain the historic alliance that binds our two democracies.”
Emanuel drew on his decades of work with Israel throughout multiple administrations — as well as his history as a staunch supporter of the country and the son of an Israeli who fought in its war of independence.
He argued the “unconditional support” from the U.S. had enabled policies that isolated Israel from many of its allies and turned the country into “the world’s pariah.”
“Without question, the alliance is at a crossroads. It cannot stand or survive as it has been. To maintain the strength of our ties, we need significant changes and a new direction,” Emanuel said in a speech at Tel Aviv University earlier this month.
He called for ending U.S. military subsidies to Israel, imposing sanctions on violent Israeli settlers in the West Bank and pursuing a “23-state solution” that would preserve Israel’s security while creating a viable Palestinian state.
Yet, despite his tougher approach to Israel, Emanuel still made clear he was distancing himself from the party’s left flank. Ahead of the speech, Emanuel criticized those who celebrated Hamas after the Oct. 7, 2023, and dismissed the influence of democratic socialism, telling Jewish Insider, “I am not impressed with that wing of the party.”
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D), another possible presidential candidate, has similarly sought to carve out a distinct lane on Israel.
A staunch Zionist, Shapiro has consistently defended Israel’s right to exist and defend itself against Hamas while openly criticizing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.
But Shapiro has also acknowledged the widening split in the party over Israel and said Democrats would spend the coming year figuring out the path forward.
“I expect our party over the course of this next year or so to go through a battle about what we believe in, and then come out unified in a way that we can take the fight to the other side and really deliver for the American people,” Shapiro said in a CNN interview earlier this month.
Former Vice President Kamala Harris has also appeared to recognize the issue’s growing political importance. Axios reported that she has met privately with progressive groups, including pro-Palestinian activists, and has been in touch with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani (D) in recent months.
The positioning comes as Democratic voters have shifted dramatically on Israel. Gallup polling conducted in February found 65 percent of Democrats sympathized more with Palestinians, while 17 percent sympathized more with Israelis. In 2022, Democrats were nearly evenly divided, with 40 percent sympathizing more with Israelis and 38 percent with Palestinians.
Those crosscurrents were on full display during last week’s vote on Massie’s amendment. Though the measure failed, more House Democrats voted to cut aid to Israel than against doing so, exposing a division that Democratic leaders are increasingly struggling to navigate.
Many Democrats said they opposed cutting humanitarian aid to Israel, in addition to military aid, but they argued supporting the measure was important to signal their frustration with the status quo.
“The shifting dynamics are not lost on the members of Congress,” Jeremy Ben-Ami, president of the center-left lobbying group J Street, said in an interview around the vote. “Navigating this moment and trying to find solid ground where you feel comfortable is a challenge.”
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