‘There Was No Aid For Gaza’: Swing-State Dem Senate Candidate Explains Vote Against Israel Aid

Democratic Rep. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan said Friday one of the reasons she voted against a bill to provide aid to Israel was due to a lack of aid for Gaza.

Israel started military operations against Hamas after the radical Islamic terrorist group carried out a deadly terrorist attack on multiple locations in southern Israel Oct. 7, killing over 1,400 people and taking more than 200 hostages. The House of Representatives passed the Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, which provides $14.3 billion is support for Israel, by a 226-196 vote.

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Slotkin is running for the Senate seat being vacated by Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow of Michigan, with the Cook Political Report rating the seat as “leaning Democratic.”

President Joe Biden called for a “pause” in Israeli military operations Wednesday after a heckler demanding a cease-fire in Gaza interrupted a fundraising speech in Minnesota.

“There was no aid for Gaza in that bill,” Slotkin told “Morning Joe” co-host Willie Geist. “You know, we’re all watching our screens. Whatever you think of what’s going on, there are situations right now in Gaza that are very dire on food, on water, on medicine, so I couldn’t support that.”

Statements the United Nations Relief and Works Agency posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, appeared to indicate that Hamas stole fuel and other relief supplies before deleting the posts. Axios reporter Barak Ravid posted on X that Israeli and UN officials confirmed the theft by Hamas and included a screenshot of the since-deleted posts.

State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller demanded Israel allow humanitarian aid into Gaza during an Oct. 19 press briefing, even after admitting that Hamas had taken aid in the past.