The Jewish Federations of Ulster and Dutchess counties departed from their usual nonpartisan stance to take aim at U.S. Rep. Pat Ryan following his recent vote to block $3.3 billion in military and humanitarian aid to Israel and his decision to reject further donations from the American Israeli Public Affairs Committee. In an open letter issued this week, the Jewish organizations called Ryan’s shifting stance on Israel an effort to placate “extremists” in the Democratic Party coalition.

“Congressman Ryan originally stood as a supporter of Israel, recognizing the vital necessity of its self-defense after October 7th,” the statement reads. “Yet, in a high-stakes election cycle, he has turned his back on the Jewish community to appease political extremists like the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and has actively imported divisive politics into our backyard, sparking a troubling surge in local antisemitism.”

Ryan has been on the hot seat with Jewish groups since earlier this month when he joined 102 Democrats and Kentucky Republican Thomas Massie to vote against the aid package. The vote, which had support from House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, failed 104 to 314. But it exposed a growing rift within the Democratic Party over support for the Jewish state and the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. A recent Quinnipiac College poll found that 66 percent of Democrats thought the U.S. was “too supportive” of Israel (since the Iran war support has also dropped among Republicans but to a far lesser degree).

Support for Israel has also emerged as a hot-button issue in recent Democratic primaries where AIPAC has spent tens of millions of dollars in hopes of defeating anti-Israel candidates.

The vote marked a major departure for Ryan who in 2024 won praise from the Ulster Jewish Federation for his support for Israel in the wake of the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas militants that left some 1,200 Israeli soldiers and civilians dead and another 251 taken hostage. Since taking office in 2022, Ryan has received $380,000 in bundled contributions from AIPAC; last year he recorded a video for the powerful lobbying group calling for the U.S. to “double down” on its longstanding alliance with Israel.

Ryan’s attitude began to shift earlier this year following the joint U.S. Israeli attack on Iran. In April, Ryan told Kingston Wire that, under the Netanyahu government, America's “interests and values” were no longer aligned with Israel’s and called for the U.S. to “reassess” the alliance. In his response to the Jewish Federation, Ryan reiterated that his issue was not with the State of Israel, but with what he called “Netanyahu’s increasingly corrupt and dangerous government,” adding that he “stands ready” to work with a future Israeli government committed to democracy and a two-state solution.

“This vote does not represent an abandonment of the state of Israel or the Jewish people. It does not deny the fact that Hamas is a terrorist organization. It does not neglect the profound grief of October 7th, nor the devastation in the years that followed. It does not change my longstanding commitment to Israel’s right to exist, and to urgently addressing the growing scourge of anti-Semitism,” Ryan wrote. “What this vote does represent is a reset. An opportunity to step back and rebuild towards a better future for Israelis, Palestinians, and the Middle East and to send a message to Netanyahu's government that the status quo is unacceptable.”

But in its letter, the Jewish groups said Ryan’s new stance threatened the safety of Jews both in Israel, by effectively supporting Iran and its proxy forces like Hamas and Hezbollah, and at home by stoking growing antisemitism.

“[Ryan’s] vote to halt essential military funding carries severe geopolitical and economic consequences,” the letter reads. “Blocking this aid directly emboldens Iran and its proxies, whose explicit goal is the destruction of Israel. To cut this support is, in effect, to align with that objective.”

The letter added that blocking the aid package would also have cost American jobs and took Ryan to task for his criticism of AIPAC.

“Ryan’s decision to vilify AIPAC is deeply dishonest,” the groups wrote. “AIPAC is simply an organization of American citizens who believe in the essential bond between the United States and Israel.”