U.S. Representative Haley Stevens recently voted in favor of preserving military and humanitarian aid for Israel. The move sparked backlash against Stevens, who is currently running in Michigan‘s Democratic Senate primary against Abdul El-Sayed.
As reported by Deadline Detroit, the U.S. House rejected a measure that would have eliminated $3.3 billion in military and humanitarian aid for Israel by a 314-104 vote. Democrats were divided on the issue, with 103 voting in favor of cutting the aid and 98 voting against the measure.
Because of Stevens’ pro-Israel stance, her opponent El-Sayed criticized her, saying: “She chose to side with AIPAC and Republicans to continue funding a war machine that has taken the loved ones of many Michigan families.”
Stevens responded by defending her vote, arguing that the measure would have eliminated humanitarian aid that could support “peace-building.” She also said she opposes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and hopes for a ceasefire.
Michigan Residents React to Haley Stevens Defending Israel
Stevens’ vote sparked discussion on platforms such as Reddit’s r/Michigan, where many users criticized her support for Israel. One user condemned her actions: “She is consistently voting against our interests on behalf of a foreign nation, yet people are split because her opponent is a brown guy with a scary name and a medical degree.”
Others echoed that sentiment, saying: “Haley, we don’t want to give a fully developed, apartheid nation whose citizens get universal healthcare and free university our money. An entire generation is in deep debt because of the cost of university. Healthcare is the #1 cause of bankruptcy across all generations.”
Some people, however, were not surprised: “I mean it’s on her site, right? She thinks support for Israel can’t even be QUESTIONED, much less conditioned.”
Some Democratic voters also criticized Stevens for “framing being pro-Israel as being anti-Republican/anti-Trump.” According to one commenter, “You can’t pretend to be interested in establishing a Palestinian state when you’re arming the government determined to genocide the Palestinians.”
It remains to be seen who will win the upcoming Democratic primary for Michigan’s U.S. Senate seat, but some voters are already expressing concerns about Stevens’ chances in the general election if she secures the nomination. As one user put it: “Cool, she’ll get annihilated if she wins the primary. Nobody is going to be excited.”
