Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said she will oppose all U.S. military assistance to Israel, including funding for the Iron Dome missile defense system, citing what she described as the Israeli government’s repeated violations of international and American law.
Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., made the statement in a quote tweet responding to a New York Magazine article about a pledge she made at a Democratic Socialists of America forum. The congresswoman argued Israel has the financial means to fund its own defense systems without American taxpayer support.
“The Israeli government is well able to fund the Iron Dome system, which has proven critical to keep innocent civilians safe from rocket attacks and bombardment. Consistent with my voting record to date, I will not support Congress sending more taxpayer dollars and military aid to a government that consistently ignores international law and U.S. law,” Ocasio-Cortez wrote.
She pointed to the Israeli Knesset’s recent approval of a $45 billion defense budget. She noted that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed interest in withdrawing from the memorandum of understanding governing U.S. military assistance to Israel in January.
“Netanyahu’s allies in the Knesset just approved a $45 billion defense budget, and the Prime Minister himself also asserted his interest in withdrawing from the MOU with the United States in January,” she wrote. “It is fully within their ability to fund Iron Dome and other defensive systems.”
Ocasio-Cortez framed her position around compliance with the Leahy amendment and the Foreign Assistance Act, both of which impose human rights conditions on recipients of U.S. military aid.
“Our allies who need our military aid must understand that we will provide it consistent with the Leahy amendment and the foreign assistance act,” she said.
The statement is consistent with her prior voting record. In 2021, Ocasio-Cortez voted “present” on a standalone measure to provide $1 billion in Iron Dome funding.
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