Democratic congressman who voted to cut off Israel aid decries far-left harassment campaign

Adam Smith, ranking member of House Armed Services Committee who used to receive AIPAC support, says anti-Israel activists vandalized his family home, assaulted staff member

By Luke Tress

You will receive email alerts from this author.

Manage alert preferences on your profile page

You will no longer receive email alerts from this author.

Manage alert preferences on your profile page

Today, 6:47 pm

Edit

Luke Tress is The Times of Israel's New York correspondent.

US Rep. Adam Smith, a Democrat from Washington State, on Thursday decried a far-left anti-Israel harassment campaign while justifying his recent vote to cut off military aid to Israel.

Smith was one of 104 House representatives who voted for an amendment to cut off aid to Israel on Wednesday. All of those who supported the amendment, except the bill’s sponsor, Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, were Democrats.

The amendment failed despite nearly half of Democrats supporting it, reflecting the growing rupture between the party and Israel.

Smith, from Washington’s 9th District, is the Democratic ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee. He is also emblematic of the widening rift, as he previously received support from the pro-Israel lobby AIPAC before taking a more critical posture toward the country.

Although he voted to halt the military assistance, Smith said in his statement that he was “deeply concerned about the tactics used by those on the far left to advocate cutting off aid to Israel.”

Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition

by email and never miss our top stories

By signing up, you agree to the terms

Smith said his family’s home was vandalized, a fire was set in his driveway, one of his staff members was assaulted, activists shut down town hall meetings and his neighbors’ “lives have been disrupted” by late-night demonstrations.

“Those who engage in this type of behavior model a dangerous form of corrosive politics that seeks to intimidate those who disagree with them,” Smith said. “We must be able to have civil discourse if we want to solve difficult problems.”

My statement on my vote in support of Rep. Massie's Amendment #8. pic.twitter.com/gLoeYWiCNv

— Rep. Adam Smith (@RepAdamSmith) July 16, 2026

Protesters last year demonstrated outside Smith’s office, demanding that he “stop arming Israel” and charging the congressman with “genocide.”

In 2024, when AIPAC backed Smith’s reelection campaign, anti-Israel demonstrators occupied his office, accusing him of abetting “ethnic cleansing” and “genocide.”

In his statement, Smith said cutting off aid to Israel was “a very close vote” for him, that he was a supporter of Israel and recognized the existential threats posed to it by Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran. He cited the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, onslaught that launched the Gaza war.

But he added that he was “incredibly frustrated” by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government and its “total war approach” in Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon and Syria. He called the Israeli response to West Bank settler violence “indefensible” and said he was “absolutely appalled” by far-right Ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben Gvir.

“I have an obligation to try to get the attention of the Netanyahu government to force them to change their actions,” he said. “My vote to stop $3.3 billion in military assistance to Israel is my effort to do that.”

Smith is running in a primary race against two anti-Israel candidates to his left, Kshama Sawant and Melissa Chaudhry. Sawant organized anti-Israel protests outside Smith’s home.

Far-left anti-Israel candidates have won several Democratic primaries in recent weeks, including by defeating pro-Israel incumbents.

If you’d like to comment, join

The Times of Israel Community.