More than half of the Democratic Party members in the US House of Representatives voted against providing Israel with $3.3 billion in military aid as part of a national security spending bill. This was reported by the Associated Press (AP).

According to the agency, 104 of the 212 Democrats in the House of Representatives sought to reduce spending on aid to Israel through amendments to the national security spending bill. With the votes of Republican Party members included, the bill was rejected by 314 votes to 104. Nevertheless, AP notes that the Democrats’ actions point to a deep split within the party over support for Israel and the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The Democratic Party has traditionally supported Israel, the agency notes. However, in recent years, against the backdrop of the fighting in the Gaza Strip, Lebanon, and Iran, the party’s left wing has grown stronger and become more vocal in opposing support for Israeli foreign policy.

Earlier, Reuters reported on a letter from a group of six US senators who urged their Democratic colleagues to block consideration of the national defense spending bill because it contained initiatives to expand military aid to Israel.