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House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries talks with reporters during news conference as Congress returns to work at the Capitol in Washington, November 9, 2026. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

New York Jewish Week via JTA — When the next Congress convenes in January with a Democratic majority, it will likely be Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, the pro-Israel Democrat from Brooklyn, who leads the House of Representatives.

As House Speaker, Jeffries would play a key role in setting the House’s legislative agenda at a time when many Democrats have taken more critical stances on Israel and AIPAC, the pro-Israel lobbying group. Jeffries himself has asserted that a “change in direction is needed” for the US-Israel relationship.

His support for Israel and ties to AIPAC have angered a number of progressives who want to see party leadership apply greater pressure on the Israeli government.…