NY Democratic Congressional Favorite Refuses to Support Anti-Israel Aid Legislation, Accuse Israel of ‘Genocide’

When pressed in a left-wing questionnaire, Micah Lasher, a Democrat running for US Congress in New York’s 12th District, refused to indicate whether he would vote to halt arms sales to Israel and passed on accusing the Jewish state of committing a “genocide” in Gaza, highlighting growing tensions within the progressive movement over how far candidates should go in criticizing a key US ally.

In a recent questionnaire for candidates, the New York Working Families Party asked Lasher to spell out his views on US military assistance to Israel, civilian casualties in Gaza, and whether Washington should impose conditions or limits on aid. The questions reflect a broader push by progressive organizations to treat US policy toward Israel as a central test for endorsements, a shift that has unsettled some Democrats who argue that such demands risk oversimplifying a complex security situation.

Lasher criticized conduct of Israeli settlers in the West Bank, writing that he would be willing to “co-sponsor Rep. Nadler’s ‘West Bank Violence Prevention Act,’ as well as work to reintroduce Biden-era sanctions on West Bank settlement activity.” Lasher is running to replace Rep. Jerry Nadler, a long-time congressman who is not seeking reelection this year.

The candidate added that he would be willing to vote in favor of enforcing the “Leahy Law and the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961.”

The Leahy Law is a US law that bars the government from providing military assistance to foreign security units that have been credibly implicated in gross human rights violations unless the host country takes effective steps to investigate and hold accountable those responsible.

However, Lasher demurred on voting in favor of the “Defending the Human Rights of Palestinian Children and Families Living Under Israeli Military Occupation Act,” introduced by Rep. Betty McCollum (D-MN). Lasher claimed reluctance to commit to a complete withholding of aid for purposes in the West Bank, saying he needs more time to “closely review” the allegations 

“I am concerned that its limitations on funding would extend beyond the West Bank into Israel, proper; and I am not persuaded that it would have a material effect on settlement activity,” Lasher wrote. 

Additionally, Lasher indicated that he would not lend support to HR 3565, colloquially known as the “Block the Bombs Act.”

“I believe it makes sense to continue handling fundamental questions related to aid in negotiated agreements that transcend the rapid and significant dynamic shifts, and dramatically unfolding events, that occur on the ground in this highly unstable region,” he wrote. “The management of those agreements, and the deployment of the enormous diplomatic leverage possessed by the United States, is a better mechanism to improve the reality on the ground.”

The Block the Bombs Act is proposed legislation that would prohibit the transfer of certain offensive weapons to Israel, such as bombs and artillery shells, unless the president certifies that their use complies with US and international humanitarian law.

Lasher’s responses emphasized humanitarian concerns and the need to protect civilians, while also acknowledging Israel’s security challenges following Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, invasion of the Jewish state, according to the questionnaire. Rather than endorsing a wholesale cutoff of aid, his answers pointed toward a more cautious approach that recognizes Israel’s right to defend itself alongside the importance of minimizing civilian harm, a position closer to the Democratic mainstream than to the party’s most outspoken critics of Israel.

In addition, Lasher indicated that he would not support a resolution advanced by Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) which would recognize a so-called “genocide” of the Palestinian people in Gaza. Lasher wrote that he does not believe that “definitional” debates are helpful and do not serve to secure stability and peace in the region. 

“I do not generally believe that definitional debates, which can divide people of good will without producing material progress in this intractable conflict or in the conditions of people’s lives, are helpful to that cause,” Lasher responded.

The exchange underscores a widening divide within the US political left, as groups like the Working Families Party push candidates to adopt sharper critiques of Israel, while others warn that such stances could alienate Jewish voters and moderate Democrats, particularly in competitive districts. Several Democratic lawmakers have argued that conditioning or cutting US aid could weaken Israel at a time when it faces threats from Hamas, Iran and other regional actors.

New York’s 12th District has a reputation as a moderate stronghold in a politically progressive, left-wing city. Despite losing New York City’s recent mayoral election, Andrew Cuomo managed to win the district over left-wing firebrand Zohran Mamdani. The district also maintains a 20-percent Jewish population, underscoring the necessity of a more balanced stance on the Israel-Gaza conflict.

Cameron Kasky, a 25-year-old political pundit and anti-Israel activist, recently dropped out of the district’s Democratic primary. Spectators allege that his vocal anti-Israel stance emerged as a non-starter for wide swaths of primary voters.