There are moments when the votes cast in Congress deserve more than a passing headline.

They deserve our attention—and our response.

 

Many in our Jewish community were deeply disappointed that every member of the Massachusetts congressional delegation voted in favor of Roll Call 243, an amendment that would have removed $3.3 billion in U.S. security assistance to Israel from the Fiscal Year 2027 State Department Appropriations bill.

 

People can disagree about spending priorities.

They can disagree about the policies of any government, including Israel's.

But this vote came at a time when Israel continues to face an extraordinary range of threats to its very existence.

That is what makes it so troubling.

 

Less than three years have passed since the horrific attacks of October 7, 2023—the deadliest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust. Since then, Israel has been forced to defend itself on multiple fronts:

• Hamas continues to launch rockets into Israel and has repeated broken terms of  the ceasefire agreement by attempting board infiltrations, planting explosives and attacking soldiers.

• Hezbollah has fired thousands of rockets from Lebanon and has been at active war with Israel since March.

• The Iranian-backed Houthis have launched missiles and attacked commercial shipping.

• Despite the war between Iran and the US, Iran continues to finance, arm, and direct terrorist organizations committed to Israel's destruction.

 

No democracy should be expected to face those threats alone. Israel should not have to.

 

For more than 75 years, the partnership between the United States and Israel has rested on far more than friendship. It is rooted in shared democratic values, common strategic interests, and a recognition that America's security is strengthened when Israel remains strong.

 

Israel is America's closest ally in the Middle East and the region's only democracy. The intelligence our countries share have helped prevent terrorist attacks on our own soil.  Joint military research has produced technologies that protect American and Israeli service members alike. Israeli experience confronting terrorism has strengthened American security, while the United States has helped ensure that Israel maintains the ability to defend itself in one of the world's most dangerous neighborhoods.

 

The security assistance provided to Israel is also an investment in America. Much of that funding

(Under the current 10-year MOU, 74-100% of the funds must be used to purchase American made defense goods and services) is spent with American defense manufacturers, supporting thousands of jobs in communities across the United States while strengthening the military partnership between our two countries.

 

None of this means Americans—or Israelis—must agree with every decision made by an Israeli government. Israelis debate their leaders passionately, just as Americans debate ours. That is what democracies do. But there is a profound difference between disagreeing with a government's policies and weakening the security of a democratic ally surrounded by organizations that openly seek its total destruction.

 

That is why this vote was so very disappointing.

 

Our disappointment is greater because Congressman Richard Neal and Congressman Jim McGovern have, over many years, demonstrated support for the U.S.-Israel relationship and have built meaningful relationships with members of our Jewish community. We value that history, and we respect their years of public service and one vote does not erase a lifetime of leadership. Yet some votes carry particular weight. At a moment when Israel faces daily threats from Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and Iran, votes affecting its security sends a powerful message. We sincerely hope this vote does not signal a departure from the bipartisan American commitment that has long recognized Israel's right to defend itself and the importance of the alliance between our two democracies.

 

Respect, however, does not require silence.

 

If you share our concern, we encourage you to contact Congressman Neal and Congressman McGovern. Let them know—respectfully, thoughtfully, and personally—that you were disappointed by this vote.

• Tell them why continued American support for Israel matters to you.

• Explain why you believe standing with Israel is both a moral obligation and a strategic necessity.

• Elected officials should hear directly from the people they represent, especially when we believe they have taken the wrong path.

 

Our community has never been afraid to engage in difficult conversations. We have always believed that respectful dialogue is stronger than silence and that citizenship carries responsibilities as well as rights. Speaking up may not change every vote, but remaining silent guarantees that our perspective is absent from the conversation.

 

The relationship between the United States and Israel has endured because it has been built on shared values, mutual trust, and bipartisan support. Those principles are worth protecting.

 

Our voices alone may not change the outcome of a single vote. But if we fail to speak when those principles are tested, we risk allowing them to erode.

 

Let us engage with respect, speak with conviction, and remind our elected leaders that supporting Israel is not simply an act of solidarity with a friend. It advances America's interests, strengthens the cause of democracy in a dangerous region, and reaffirms the values that have long united our two nations.