Rep. Josh Gottheimer, a New Jersey Democrat, and Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a Florida Democrat, listen as Margaret Grun Kibben, the chaplain of the U.S. House of Representatives, leads a prayer during a vigil for Israel on the steps of the U.S. Capitol Building, Oct. 12, 2023. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON (JTA) — Twenty-six Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives have asked the White House for a briefing on why President Joe Biden suspended the delivery of large bombs to Israel, the latest sign of fractures in the party over Israel policy.

“We are deeply concerned about the message the Administration is sending to Hamas and other Iranian-backed terrorist proxies by withholding weapons shipments to Israel, during a critical moment in the negotiations,” said the letter sent Friday to Jake Sullivan, Biden’s national security adviser, referring to U.S.-led efforts to broker a ceasefire to allow for the release of hostages still held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Israel has said that in exchange, it would release Palestinian security prisoner.

Earlier this week, Biden confirmed that he was suspending delivery of 2,000- and 500 pound bombs because he did not want Israel to use them as its forces invaded Rafah, a city on Gaza’s border with Egypt that Israel says is the last major redoubt of Hamas forces.

“With democracy under assault around the world, we cannot undermine our ally Israel, especially in her greatest hour of need,” said the letter spearheaded by Rep. Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey, who is Jewish. “America’s commitments must always be ironclad.”

Other Jewish signatories included pro-Israel mainstays Reps. Brad Schneider of Illinois; Jared Moskowitz, Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Lois Frankel of Florida; Kathy Manning of North Carolina and Greg Landsman of Ohio.

The letter underscores persistent support among a sizable portion of the Democratic caucus for for the position advanced in recent days by the pro-Israel community — that Biden broke a decades-long taboo by suspending the weapons delivery.

By contrast, Biden’s announcement drew praise from progressives who have for months been pressing him to leverage aid to Israel as a means of curbing casualties in the war. One of the most outspoken is Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Jewish Vermonter who is the de facto leader of congressional progressives.

“Given the unprecedented humanitarian disaster that Netanyahu’s war has created in Gaza, where hundreds of thousands of children face starvation, President Biden is absolutely right to halt bomb delivery to this extreme, right-wing Israeli government,” Sanders said Wednesday in a statement.

Hamas terrorists launched the war on Oct. 7 when they massacred approximately 1,200 people in Israel and took some 250 hostage. Israel launched counterstrikes, and officials at the Hamas -run Gaza health ministry say more than 34,00 Palestinians have been killed in the war.

This article originally appeared on JTA.org.

A message from our Publisher & CEO Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

The coming year promises to be filled with more complex and historic developments. We are entering an era where independent, fact-based Jewish journalism will be more important than ever. We need to be ready for whatever 2025 will bring, and with your help, we can be.

We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.

If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

With your support, we’ll be ready for whatever 2025 brings.

$36 $500

$120 $180 Other amount