On Friday, 40 House Democrats sent a letter to President Biden urging him “to reconsider your recent decision to authorize the transfer of a new arms package to Israel, and to withhold this and any future offensive arms transfers” until a “full investigation” of last week’s World Central Kitchen attack is completed.

“In light of the recent strike against aid workers and the ever-worsening humanitarian crisis,” the letter read, “we believe it is unjustifiable to approve these weapons transfers.”

Most of the Democratic signatories were predictable: members of the Squad, leaders of the Progressive Caucus, certain rank-and-file members who happen to be from Michigan. One signature, however, stood out among the others—the representative from California’s 11th District, Nancy Pelosi.

There hasn’t been much daylight between the former speaker and Israel since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack. She’s reserved most of her scorn, in the heated debates since, for pro-Palestinian protesters. In January, she suggested that calling for a cease-fire was “Mr. Putin’s message.” Although some protesters, she said, were “spontaneous and organic and sincere,” others, she posited, “are connected to Russia.”

A statement from Pelosi’s office explaining her decision to sign the letter offered a measured rationale. “Speaker Pelosi is sympathetic to some of the thoughts in the letter, and she feels very strongly that there must be a........

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