US Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA), ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, speaks during a virtual interview from his office. Photo: Screenshot

Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA), the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, has disclosed that he and his family were subjected to an unrelenting campaign of intimidation by anti-Israel activists — citing vandalism, arson, and an assault on a staffer — as he explained a reversal to vote in favor of stripping Israel of military aid.

In a statement on Wednesday explaining his support for an amendment removing $3.3 billion in Israeli security aid from the fiscal year 2027 State Department appropriations bill, Smith — who had earlier signaled he would oppose the measure — said far-left agitators had vandalized his family home, set a fire in his driveway, and physically assaulted a member of his staff. He accused them of modeling a “corrosive” form of politics meant to intimidate lawmakers who disagree with them.

“I am deeply concerned about the tactics used by those on the far left to advocate for cutting off aid to Israel. To date, my family and I have had our home vandalized, a fire has been set in my driveway, my neighbors’ lives have been disrupted by demonstrations in the middle of the night, town halls meant to be forums for dialogue have been shut down, and a staff member has been physically assaulted,” he wrote.

Smith said civil discourse was essential to solving hard problems and that he remained “committed to open, respectful engagement” despite the pressure.

At the same time, Smith leveled sharp criticism at Israel’s conduct, saying he had been “incredibly frustrated” by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s “total war approach in Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, and even at times in Syria.” While affirming Israel’s right to confront threats to its existence, he argued that the Jewish state “does not have to fight the way they have chosen to do so—a way that has caused enormous suffering and led to endless war.”

He also faulted Netanyahu for a “refusal to find partners for peace amongst the Palestinian people” and said he was “absolutely appalled” by the actions of National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. Branding Israel’s conduct in the West Bank “indefensible,” Smith condemned settler violence.

“Lawless settlers commit violence against Palestinians and conduct land grabs while the IDF does little or nothing to stop them,” he wrote.

Smith nevertheless drew a distinction between critics such as himself and activists seeking Israel’s elimination.

“I also recognize that many of those who want the U.S. to completely abandon Israel do not support Israel’s right to exist and are willfully blind to the dangerous, violent, extremist beliefs of Hamas and others who threaten Israel,” he wrote.

Smith’s disclosure raises the question of whether hostility and threats from activists are shaping how federal lawmakers approach Israel policy. In the nearly three years since the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led massacre across southern Israel, activists have directed an escalating series of threatening and violent acts at lawmakers seen as supportive of the Jewish state.

An attacker allegedly threw Molotov cocktails in April 2025 at the residence of Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D), another outspoken supporter of Israel. Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL), one of Congress’s most vocal defenders of Israel, said in May that he had received threatening voicemails targeting himself and his family. Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) disclosed in June that the FBI had told him it disrupted a potential large-scale attack on pro-Israel members of Congress.

The intimidation has been especially acute in Smith’s own district. The staff assault Smith cited tracks with an Aug. 4, 2025, incident in which Calvin Priest — the husband of Smith’s electoral rival, former Seattle City Councilmember Kshama Sawant — was arrested after leading protesters into a Smith town hall in Renton, Washington, and was later pursued on a charge of assaulting a 22-year-old staffer. Priest accepted a stipulated order of continuance deferring prosecution; Sawant was not present and has not been accused of wrongdoing.

Smith faces challenges in the state’s August primary from Sawant, who is running as an independent on an anti-war platform, and from progressive Democrat Melissa Chaudhry, both of whom have hammered his support for Israel. The contest comes as backing for Israel has eroded within the Democratic Party, with several pro-Israel members losing primaries in recent months.

The amendment, introduced by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), failed by a vote of 104-314, with 10 members voting present. Massie was the only Republican to support it, joined by 103 Democrats. The measure would have barred any funding in the State Department spending bill from being “obligated or expended for Israel” and separately cut $3.3 billion from the Foreign Military Financing (FMF) account — the sum allocated for Israel’s annual security assistance.

Supporters of continued US military assistance argue the aid is essential to Israel’s ability to defend itself against Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran-backed militant groups while reinforcing America’s broader security interests in the Middle East. They contend that preserving Israel’s qualitative military edge remains a longstanding bipartisan objective of US foreign policy.

Critics, including many Democrats, argue that continued military assistance should be conditioned on changes to Israel’s conduct in Gaza, citing humanitarian concerns over civilian casualties and the destruction caused by the war. Israel maintains that it targets Hamas infrastructure and leadership while accusing the terrorist group of embedding its operations within densely populated civilian areas.