Rep. Seth Magaziner (D-RI) announced on Friday that he is co-sponsoring a bill, pushed by far-left House members, to place strict restrictions on U.S. weapons sales to Israel, which critics have described as an effective arms embargo on the Jewish state.

The move comes as a surprise from the relatively moderate Magaziner, who has maintained a largely pro-Israel record during his time in office and has not joined in previous prominent calls to suspend weapons shipments to Israel. Though he does not practice Judaism and comes from a mixed-faith background, Magaziner has spoken often about his Jewish heritage and is a member of the House Jewish caucus.

“I have taken this action to do my part to pressure Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu to implement a ceasefire in Gaza, allow significantly increased humanitarian aid into Gaza, and to stop the expansion of settlements in the West Bank,” Magziner said in a statement. “This was not a decision I arrived at lightly. As a person of Jewish heritage, I strongly support the existence of Israel as an independent state and a refuge where Jews from around the world can live in safety.”

But, he continued, “we are well past the point where a continuation of the war in Gaza serves the best interests of Israelis, Palestinians or Americans and the United States must exert pressure on Netanyahu to change course.”

He argued that the continued war puts Israelis at risk by undermining global support for Israel.

He emphasized in the statement that Hamas, “a bloodthirst terrorist organization” started the war and continues to hold hostages and said that Israel “has a right to defend itself from attacks like the horrific atrocities committed by Hamas on October 7, 2023, and I remain sickened by the rise of antisemitism in our country and globally in recent years, including at times in the anti-war movement.”

“The acts of terror committed by Hamas are horrific. But injustice does not justify injustice, and the prolonged suffering of civilians in Gaza must end,” Magaziner said.

Though he backed additional aid to Israel last year, he said that the situation now is different, given Israel’s military successes against Hamas, Iran and Hezbollah and the “crisis [level]” humanitarian situation in Gaza and killing of Palestinians in the West Bank.

“Netanyahu has presented no plan for achieving peace and appears to believe that the United States will comply with his every whim. It is time to try something different,” Magaziner said. 

“I will continue to support defensive systems like Iron Dome that protect civilians, as well as targeted actions to remove what remains of Hamas, but I will not support providing the Netanyahu government with additional offensive weaponry until food and medicine are surged into Gaza, Netanyahu presents a workable proposal to end the war that ensures the safety and dignity for both Israelis and Palestinians, independent journalists are permitted to report from Gaza, and rule of law is enforced impartially in the West Bank,” the Rhode Island congressman continued.

He said that Israeli military actions have endangered and killed civilians “at an unacceptable rate” and said Israel caused “mass suffering” by blocking humanitarian aid. And he said that Israeli claims that Hamas is exaggerating the death toll and extent of the famine are “impossible to verify” when Israel will not allow independent journalists into Gaza.

He also criticized discussions among right-wing Israeli leaders about annexing the West Bank and Gaza and expelling Palestinians, the latter of which has also been suggested by the Trump administration.

Though it stands no chance of passing in the current Congress, the “Block the Bombs Act” that Magaziner is cosponsoring would impose unprecedented new conditions on weapons sales or transfers to Israel, requiring specific congressional authorization for each individual transfer of various weapons systems, and would require Congress to identify specific purposes for which those weapons would be used.

It would apply indefinitely and in perpetuity, beyond the end of the current conflict in Gaza.

Not including Magaziner, the bill currently has 42 Democratic cosponsors, most of them progressives with records far less supportive of Israel than Magaziner’s, including Jewish Reps. Becca Balint (D-VT), Sara Jacobs (D-CA), Jamie Raskin (D-MD) and Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR). 

Magaziner does not currently face any declared primary challengers.