Republican Congressman Thomas Massie from Kentucky has taken a strong stand against U.S. funding for Israel’s military operations in Gaza.
In a social media post on July 30, 2025, Massie criticized what he called America’s lopsided support for the conflict. He argued that American taxpayers should not be paying for a war that has resulted in tens of thousands of civilian deaths.
Massie was one of only two Republican House members to support an amendment proposed by Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene from Georgia. The amendment aimed to cut upwards of $500 million in U.S. military aid specifically designated for Israel’s missile defense systems. Greene had cited Israel’s bombing of Gaza’s only Catholic church as one reason for her proposal.
In his tweet, Massie stated that “Israel’s war in Gaza is so lopsided that there’s no rational argument American taxpayers should be paying for it.” He added that with the high number of civilian casualties, there was also a moral problem with the funding. Massie said he voted to stop funding the war and mentioned that lobbyists for Israel were paying for campaign ads against him because of his position.
Growing Republican opposition to Israel aid faces overwhelming defeat
The Greene amendment ultimately failed by a massive margin when it came to a vote in the House of Representatives. Only six members total supported the measure, with Massie and Greene being joined by four Democrats. The final vote was 422 to 6 against the amendment, showing that despite growing skepticism, mainstream Republican support for Israel aid remains strong.
The amendment specifically targeted $500 million for the Israeli Cooperative Program for missile defense. Greene had argued against funding what she called “nuclear-armed Israel’s missile defense system” while Americans face domestic needs at home. She also referenced Israel’s recent military actions in Gaza, including strikes on religious sites.
Israel’s war in Gaza is so lopsided that there’s no rational argument American taxpayers should be paying for it. With tens of thousands of civilian casualties, there’s a moral dilemma too. I vote to stop funding their war and lobbyists for Israel pay for campaign ads against me. pic.twitter.com/kl98hox56N
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) July 30, 2025
Massie’s position reflects a broader shift happening within parts of the Republican Party. Recent polling shows that Republican sympathy for Israel has dropped from 78 percent to 64 percent over the past year. More than half of all U.S. adults now express an unfavorable opinion of Israel, up from 42 percent in March 2022. This represents a significant change in American public opinion regarding the longtime Middle Eastern ally.
The Kentucky congressman has long been known for taking independent positions that sometimes put him at odds with his own party leadership, including crossing party lines to limit Trump’s war powers. His criticism of Israel aid comes as other conservative figures, including Tucker Carlson and former Representative Matt Gaetz, have also begun questioning unconditional U.S. support for Israel. Even Senator Lindsey Graham, traditionally one of Israel’s strongest supporters in Congress, has recently criticized Israeli settler violence in the West Bank.
Despite this growing opposition from some quarters, the overwhelming rejection of the Greene-Massie amendment shows that cutting Israel aid still lacks broad support in Congress. The Biden administration and most Republicans continue to view military assistance to Israel as essential for regional stability and American strategic interests in the Middle East.
