The Democratic leadership on the House Foreign Affairs Committee’s Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia subcommittee has seen significant turnover in the past two years, and another shakeup is coming in the new year.

Former Rep. Ted Deutch (D-FL) held the role before he left office to lead the American Jewish Committee before the end of the congressional session in 2022, and was succeeded by former Rep. David Cicilline (D-RI) in a contested race, before Cicilline himself left Congress. Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN) next took up the reins, but will leave Congress at the end of the current term, leaving another opening to be filled in the new Congress.

It’s not clear yet who might fill the gap.

The subcommittee’s current Democratic roster includes Reps. Brad Sherman (D-CA) and Gerry Connolly (D-VA), both of whom are ineligible due to other leadership posts, and Rep. Kathy Manning (D-NC), who is leaving Congress.

Rep. Gabe Amo (D-RI) is the only other Democrat on the subcommittee. His office declined to comment on his potential plans. Amo, a former White House staffer, has joined letters accusing Israel of violating U.S. arms sales laws, which could prompt the withholding of U.S. aid, and calling for sanctions on right-wing Israeli cabinet ministers.

Amo has touted his connections with the Jewish community. He represents one of the oldest synagogues in the country and has advocated for expanded security grant funding.

Rep. Brad Schneider (D-IL), a Democratic leader on Middle East policy who previously pursued the role, may face a complicated path to a run since he’s not a permanent member of the committee, and must first obtain a waiver to serve on the committee in the new year.

Should the committee’s other members choose to retain their current leadership slots on other subcommittees, other eligible candidates would include Reps. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL), Greg Stanton (D-AZ), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-CA) and Madeleine Dean (D-PA).

Five Democratic members are leaving the full committee, meaning that there could be other members joining the committee who could also be up for the slot in the new year.

Spokespeople for Moskowitz, Kamlager-Dove and Dean declined to comment. Stanton did not respond to a request for comment.

Moskowitz, who succeeded Deutch in Congress, is among the most vocal pro-Israel members in the House, and has been critical at times towards the Biden administration for its approach to the conflict. Stanton is also a pro-Israel moderate and has broken with the majority of Democrats and the White House to support GOP-led Middle East legislation on several occassions since Oct. 7.

Kamlager-Dove, whose Los Angeles district includes a significant Jewish population, has leaned toward a more progressive stance on the conflict, although she hasn’t joined efforts to suspend arms for Israel. She has faced scrutiny at home for opposing some antisemitism legislation, including a resolution describing the phrase “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” as antisemitic. She also described the Israeli government as an obstacle to peace and opposed an invasion of Rafah. She called for humanitarian pauses in Israeli operations in Gaza on Nov. 3, 2023.

Dean recently co-led a letter to the administration accusing Israel of violating U.S. arms sales law, which referenced a statute requiring the suspension of those arms sales. 

Dean and Kamlager-Dove have not publicly expressed interest in the role.

Spokespeople for Reps. Ted Lieu (D-CA) and Jonathan Jackson (D-IL), who are also potentially eligible, told JI they’re not interested.

Democrats will also have to fill the subcommittee leadership slot on the Global Health, Global Human Rights and International Organizations subcommittee, responsible — among other things — for the United Nations. That subcommittee’s roster is also essentially emptied out.