US support 'strong' for Israel now. But government shutdown looms, and isolationism rises

While she is encouraged by the "strong support" for Israel now, U.S. Rep. Lois Frankel said Friday she is worried military aid to Israel could be complicated by a government shutdown, neo-isolationism in GOP politics or equivocation by former President Donald Trump.

"The support for Israel, right now, is very, very strong," said Frankel, a West Palm Beach Democrat. "But I think there's going to be some very tough months ahead as Israel tries to defend itself."

The first order of business could be a request by Tel Aviv to replenish its "Iron Dome" air-defense system with missiles used to intercept incoming rockets. How much Israel may ask for, Frankel said, is unknown, although she knows Pentagon officials have been speaking to their counterparts in Tel Aviv.

For the current fiscal year, Congress authorized $520 million just for joint U.S.-Israel defense programs, a sum that includes $500 million for missile defense, according to the Congressional Research Service.

U.S. government shutdown looms in November

The problem is that a potential government shutdown looms before Thanksgiving if the Biden White House, the GOP-led House and the Democratic-led Senate can't come to terms on a funding resolution.

"I'm worried about whether we are going to keep the government open," Frankel said. "You can't fund anybody if the government is closed. The budget is cut off."

Before budget deliberations resume on Capitol Hill, the U.S. House needs to elect a speaker, a close-door endeavor that was torpedoed this week when GOP Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana withdrew his name.

The former speaker, California Rep. Kevin McCarthy, was ousted Oct. 4 when eight Republicans and all 210 Democrats voting, including Frankel, approved a so-called motion to vacate. Frankel said at the time she cast a vote against McCarthy because she concluded he could not be trusted.

A second factor is growing opposition within the GOP congressional caucus to foreign aid and military assistance.

The sentiment has been evident in debates over military assistance to Ukraine, which enjoyed overwhelming support after it was invaded by Russia in February 2022. More recently, however, far-right House Republicans have balked at additional funding for the war effort out of Kyiv run by the government of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Frankel said it's important to consider that military aid to Israel is not money being sent to the Middle East ally, but are dollars paid to defense contractors who then produce and ship the weaponry abroad.

Israel-Hamas conflict: Trump claims Netanyahu, Israelis backed out of 2020 attack on Iranian general

Trump comments on Hezbollah, Netanyahu 'concerning'

Frankel said a third factor is Trump, who sparked a firestorm during a speech in West Palm Beach in which he labeled another anti-Israel militant group, Hezbollah, "very smart." Trump also told a story about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "disappointing" him by backing out of an attack on an Iranian general in January 2020.

Frankel said the comments were "concerning" because Trump is "very influential in terms of his followers" in the Republican Party electorate.

"I was very surprised and very disappointed with former President Trump's statements the other day," Frankel said. "I am not sure where he was coming from or where he was going. That's sort of a factor that I don't know. I haven't put that into the equation."

After the speech to Club 47 USA at the Palm Beach County Convention Center, Trump's office asserted his support for Israel.

"There was no better friend or ally of Israel than President Donald J. Trump," a statement issued Thursday read. "Under my leadership, the United States stood in complete solidarity with Israel, and as a result, Israel was safe, America was safe, and for the first time in decades, we made historic strides for Peace in the Middle East."

Frankel also took note of those on the left side of the political spectrum that have made inflammatory statements, as well, saying it's critical that the alliance with Israel does not become partisan.

"It's very important to me that this stays very bipartisan," she said. "I would never want support of Israel to depend on which party is in power."

Antonio Fins is a politics and business editor at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach him at afins@pbpost.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Lois Frankel: Government shutdown, Trump could complicate Israel help