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A hint of Israel criticism as Nancy Pelosi takes the chair once again

As the US House of Representatives' new Speaker reclaims the gavel after eight years, many Democrats are in competition to influence her

January 3, 2019 13:21
Nancy Pelosi is back as House of Representatives Speaker

ByRobert Philpot, Robert Philpot

2 min read

Nancy Pelosi is set to become the new Speaker of the House of Representatives this week, giving the Democrats control of America’s lower chamber for the first time in eight years.

Last month, Ms Pelosi moved to reassure American Jews that the election in November of a handful of high-profile Democrats hostile to Israel does not presage a wider shift by the party against the Jewish state.

Among their number are young rising star Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who described last May’s clashes on the Gaza border as a “massacre”; Rashida Tlaib, a Palestinian-American who supports a one-state solution; and Ilhan Omar, who was revealed to have tweeted in 2012 about Israel’s “evil doings”.