US Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has come under fire for defending her decision to support a bill which will see more military aid go to Israel’s Iron Dome air defence system.
The New York lawmaker voted against an amendment by Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene last week that sought to block $500m in Congress’ annual defence spending bill for Israel’s Iron Dome programme.
Fellow Democrats Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar had supported Taylor Greene’s amendment, which eventually lost in a 422-6 vote.
In a post on X on Saturday, Ocasio-Cortez claimed that Green’s amendment did “nothing to cut off offensive aid to Israel nor end the flow of US munitions being used in Gaza”.
“What it does do is cut off defensive Iron Dome capacities while allowing the actual bombs killing Palestinians to continue,” she said. “I have long stated that I do not believe that adding to the death count of innocent victims to this war is constructive to its end.
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“That is a simple and clear difference of opinion that has long been established. I remain focused on cutting the flow of US munitions that are being used to perpetuate the genocide in Gaza.”
On Saturday, the Democratic Socialists of America, of which Ocasio-Cortez is a member, said it was crucial that lawmakers backed all-encompassing arm embargoes against Israel, including those concerning defensive weapons.
“While the Congresswoman voted against the defense appropriations bill itself, voting against funding for the imperialist military-industrial complex and the Israeli genocide, we were further deeply disappointed by her clarifying statement on her position on the Iron Dome.
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“Along with other US-funded interceptor systems, the Iron Dome has emboldened Israel to invade or bomb no less than five different countries in the past two years.”
DSA said that providing any military aid to Israel while they carried out a genocide with US support is completely unacceptable as it legitimised “its eliminationist campaign against the Palestinian people”.
“The fact that Representative Ocasio-Cortez acknowledges that Israel is carrying out this genocide makes her support for military aid all the more disappointing and incongruous,” DSA continued.
On Monday, Ocasio-Cortez faced criticism from members of the public, including at least one person who defaced her campaign office with red paint. A sign was also left outside the building, accusing the congresswoman of funding a genocide in Gaza.
The New York native in 2021 faced a deluge of criticism over the Iron Dome defence system, when she cried on the House floor after changing her vote from “no” to “present” on providing $1bn in funding for the defence system.
In an open letter after that incident, she said she had changed her vote because she was subject to “hateful targeting”.
