Bay Area voters suing their own congress members over Israel vote — Here's why it's a game-changer

Constituents in Northern California have launched a class-action lawsuit against Representatives Mike Thompson and Jared Huffman. The suit, filed in San Francisco's federal court, targets the Democratic lawmakers' votes to approve billions in U.S. military aid to Israel, marking another instance of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict spilling into American courtrooms.

The plaintiffs, who include residents from across the representatives' districts, claim their congressional leaders inflicted "moral and emotional/psychic injury" on taxpayers by supporting aid that they allege contributes to genocide in Gaza—a characterization firmly rejected by both Israeli authorities and the Biden administration.

This legal challenge emerges amid a broader pattern of litigation surrounding the conflict since Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack. Earlier attempts to challenge U.S. policy through the courts have faced significant hurdles: several months ago, federal courts dismissed a similar lawsuit from pro-Palestinian groups against the Biden administration, with appeals judges affirming that the judiciary cannot intervene in foreign policy decisions.

The conflict has sparked parallel legal actions from multiple angles. Jewish survivors of the October 7 attack have initiated lawsuits against pro-Palestinian organizations, UNRWA (the United Nations' Palestinian aid agency), and governments with alleged Hamas connections. Simultaneously, Jewish students have taken legal action against universities, claiming insufficient protection from campus antisemitism.

Standing outside the San Francisco courthouse, plaintiff Linda Helland, a Mendocino County resident, expressed her concern that the representatives' votes make constituents "complicit" in the ongoing violence. Palestinian American plaintiff Tarik Kanaana of Sonoma County went further, characterizing Thompson's support as assisting in "the killing of my own people."

While the lawsuit currently names twenty-one plaintiffs, organizers aim to expand this number to as many as 1,000 participants if the court allows the case to proceed. The legal team has emphasized a fresh approach focused on taxpayer rights, distinguishing it from previously dismissed cases. "We're not asking the court to tell Congress to make policy," attorney Dean Royer explained to the Chronicle. "We're asking the court to say taxpayer dollars cannot be used to fund genocide."

The targeted representatives have maintained positions aligned with mainstream Democratic Party stance: supporting Israel's right to self-defense while advocating for civilian protection. Both Thompson and Huffman backed a $26.4 billion military aid package for Israel in April while also voicing support for a ceasefire and a two-state solution.

Thompson's office responded to the lawsuit by highlighting the congressman's ongoing concerns about civilian casualties. "Congressman Thompson understands that it has been the civilian population that has paid the cost of Hamas' terrorist attack on Israel and he remains gravely concerned about the scale of civilian loss in this war," a statement read, adding that he continues to advocate for a "negotiated bilateral ceasefire, the immediate release of all hostages, and the establishment of a two-state solution to ensure peace and self-determination for the Palestinian and Israeli people."

JTA contributed to this article.