Some of Rep. Dan Goldman's Jewish congressional colleagues wanted their Democratic leadership to comment after a Brooklyn coffee shop stated on social media that it was barring him due to his views on Israel.

However, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said nothing as the controversy went viral online. He has a lot of disgruntled followers.

Democratic Representative Jared Moskowitz stated of his leadership team, "I think they're doing everything they can to not talk about the antisemitism on the left to get themselves through elections." "I believe it's more practical to simply act as though it's not happening."

"It was evident how few people responded to it in public, Goldman told CNN.

The story highlights a growing dilemma for Democrats on Capitol Hill, as more and more people of their ranks have negative opinions of Israel due to what they see to be disgusting actions in the Middle East.

After a slate of candidates critical of Israel upset incumbents, including Goldman, in recent primaries, the intense internal discussion within the party could make it more difficult to keep the caucus together if Democrats reclaim the House majority in November.

Tension erupted on Wednesday when 103 Democrats joined a Republican-sponsored bill to prohibit billions of dollars in foreign aid to Israel, but Republicans and other Democrats eventually rose to defeat it. Minority Whip Katherine Clark voted in favor of the bill, but Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries voted against it. There was disagreement about the vote even among the Democratic leadership of the House.

Rep. Greg Casar, the chair of the Progressive Caucus, stated, "I believe that after this vote, nothing will be the same on this issue ever again." He was joined by his colleagues who supported his vote to stop the help.

A day later, Sen. John Fetterman called the subject his "red line" and threatened to quit the Democratic Party if it adopted an anti-Israel stance.

He told CNN's Manu Raju, "If the Democratic Party were to formally turn against Israel, I would push myself out."

Democrats on the Hill have attempted to forge connections with individuals whose opinions on Israel are drastically different from their own, minimized the conflict, or claimed it is upsetting their party. But one thing is certain: there is an issue.

On Thursday, Jeffries responded to a CNN question on whether he disagreed with the path House Democrats are taking on Israel.

"I'll give you a serious answer if you ask me a serious question." Jeffries had a conversation with CNN.

In the future, Jeffries contended that Democrats are working together to address this complicated problem: "our approach will be one that is broadly inclusive."

Jeffries has made an effort to function as a mediator between the opposing groups in his caucus, promoting harmony between their divergent viewpoints. Although he supports Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state, he also calls for a shift in US foreign policy toward Israel in order to hold the Israeli government responsible. He has simultaneously advocated for Gaza's rehabilitation, humanitarian aid for Palestinians, and eventually the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. In the past, Jeffries has also criticized incidences of antisemitism.

Understanding that lawmakers would be divided on whether to block billions of dollars in military aid to Israel on the House floor, Jeffries was open with his colleagues in a private meeting the day before the vote on funding for Israel about how he wanted the caucus to respect differences of opinion.

According to someone in the group, Jeffries stated, "We have to run towards this issue, not run away from it." "Let's move forward as a team while respecting each other's viewpoints."

For this report, a Jeffries representative declined to comment.

Constructing bridges

They have been secretly discussing their identities with campaign workers and House Democrats. Accept the Democratic socialist candidates who have been openly critical of Israel and are unseating incumbents in blue pockets across the nation? or make an effort to steer the party toward moderation?

After Democratic socialist Melat Kiros unseated a colleague she had supported, Rep. Diana DeGette, Democratic Representative Pramila Jayapal told CNN that she met with Kiros in Denver last week in an attempt to establish common ground.

"I want to establish a relationship, to be honest. "I think I can be a bridge," Jayapal said to CNN."

According to Jayapal, Kiros arrived with a list of Democratic caucus lawmakers she intended to get in touch with. Jayapal also offered further recommendations, such as committee assignments that Kiros ought to take into account.

According to Jayapal, she wants to meet with every Democratic socialist contender.

"When the moderates win an election, there are a lot of things we need to learn from them," Jayapal said. "Oh my god, they're destroying our party, we can't be pulled from the left when a progressive wins an election." Why can't we take a lesson from those who are currently angry with Democrats?

However, many of Jayapal's colleagues back in Washington disagree and are setting their own boundaries, especially those who are Jewish and believe that some of the DSA candidates' remarks on Israel disqualify them.

"You are aware that the Democratic Party is being taken over by the DSA, and I have made it very plain that you must prevent them from doing so., because I don't believe that socialists are Democrats," a House Democrat who was given the right to remain anonymous told CNN.

The moderate group of 114 House Democrats is led by Democratic Representative Brad Schneider of Illinois, a self-described Zionist who supports a two-state solution. Schneider expressed his belief that the far-left candidates do not represent the party's future.

He said, "The center of gravity in the party continues to move to the middle. They're winning primaries in extremely blue Democratic districts that isn't growing our majority or going to help Hakeem Jeffries become speaker."

Jewish Democrats caution that the party is changing.

The Congressional Jewish Caucus has around two dozen members, and many of them joke that there are just as many different viewpoints. For this reason, the group refrains from taking official stances on issues like whether the US ought to provide Israel additional help. However, the MPs claim that they do make an effort to have substantive discussions about how to counteract the surge of antisemitism.

Tennessee Democratic Representative Steve Cohen warned his colleagues not to overlook the shift in his party's stance on Israel.

"When I first started, there weren't many people who were so anti-Israel, and there are now within the progressive caucus," Cohen remarked.

Cohen was one of the earliest members of J Street, a progressive Jewish group that opposed the pro-Israel lobby and favored a two-state solution, when he entered Congress in 2007.

However, he claimed that throughout his time in Congress, his party's change has surpassed even his left-leaning views. He chose not to compete for reelection in a district affected by his state's redistricting at the age of 77, in part because of this.

Regarding how the subject of Israel would have been handled if he had run for reelection, Cohen said CNN, "I foresaw it getting really nasty and antisemitism getting into it."

Last year, he even quit the Progressive Caucus.

"I simply discovered that it was different from the caucus I joined in 2007." The majority of the leadership was made up of socialist Democrats, and it had turned into more of a socialist caucus, according to Cohen. "I didn't feel at ease in it."

Cohen was one of 22 Democrats who censured Democratic Representative Rashida Tlaib for defending a pro-Palestinian chant in a video that accused President Joe Biden of encouraging a "genocide" against the Palestinian people, "from the river to the sea." He claimed that Tlaib has not communicated with him since casting that vote.

"Congresswoman Tlaib's spokesperson Jessica Lee told CNN that the congresswoman is currently concentrating on getting power back to Detroit residents following widespread blackouts. "In Washington, she will continue to work to improve our families' lives—and work with anyone to do so, just as she did in the recent passing of her bill in the 21st Century Road to Housing Act."

"I believe we're going to lose the ability to really engage with our own voters who care deeply about this if we don't figure that out for ourselves," Balint told CNN.

According to Balint, she was recently dubbed a "traitor" by one of her constituents for referring to Israel's acts as genocide. She claimed to have brought up the fact that her grandfather perished during the Holocaust.

"I think about this stuff really carefully because my family went through that pain, and I demand of myself that I continue to try to hold nuance," she explained.

However, Democratic Representative Greg Landsman stated that he thinks the leadership would need to set the tone, promoting justifiable policy differences while maintaining a firm stance to prevent them from becoming antisemitic or personal. The DSA candidates will then have to decide, Landsman continued.

"The party is having trouble because it is weakening and separating us, Landsman said CNN. "I think it will be the duty of party leaders and people with strong views about Israel, regardless of one's position, to find that common ground and then turn to those things that bring us together, unite us, and then focus on the issues that are most important to the majority of voters."