America’s decades-old bipartisan consensus on Israel has been shattered

What the report says

In an Al Jazeera opinion article published July 22, 2026, Washington-based journalist Said Arikat argues that a long-standing bipartisan US consensus around support for Israel is weakening, especially inside the Democratic Party. The piece centers on a recent House vote in which more than 100 Democrats backed an amendment to halt military aid to Israel. The measure did not pass, with opposition from some Democrats and nearly all Republicans, but Arikat presents the vote as evidence of a major political shift rather than a legislative defeat.

The article highlights former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s support for the amendment as especially notable, describing her as a longtime Democratic ally of Israel. Arikat writes that pressure from the Democratic base, intensified by Israel’s war on Gaza, has pushed party leaders toward positions that were once marginal, including calls for conditions on US aid, accountability, humanitarian access and compliance with international law.

According to the article, the shift has roots beyond Congress, including campus protests, teach-ins and encampments that spread after the Gaza war began. Arikat argues that Democratic leaders’ confrontational response to student activism deepened alienation among younger and progressive voters, and that the issue contributed to wider party tensions visible in the 2024 elections. He also points to progressive primary victories as a sign that criticism of Israeli government policy is less politically risky in parts of the party.

The piece concludes that US military assistance to Israel still has enough support to continue, but may no longer be treated as automatic or unconditional. As an opinion article, it reflects the author’s analysis, not a reported finding by Al Jazeera’s newsroom.