Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez vows to block any future military aid to Israel

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a potential  Democratic nominee for the 2028 presidential run, has vowed to vote against sending any military aid to Israel, including defensive supplies, marking a sharp shift from her previous stance. In her statement shared on Wednesday, Ocasio-Cortez dumped her previous position where she made exceptions to support Israel's defense systems, claiming the country could pay for it, as long as they choose to show no regard for International and U.S. Law. The statement comes at a time when other Democratic leaders have struggled to fight pro-Israel lobbying groups to condition U.S. aid to Tel Aviv. 

In her statement shared on social media, Ocasio-Cortez claimed Israel was fully capable of funding “Iron Dome and other defensive systems” that have kept its citizens safe from rockets 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 US law," she added. Her new stance distinguishes her from both leaders in her party and other potential 2028 Democratic White House contenders.

While she has been one of Israel's sharpest critics, he approach to defensive aid has wavered over the years, with her voting "present" on a 2021 bill for additional funding to Israel's Iron Dome. The stance at the time strained her relationship with the far left, including the Democratic Socialists of America, who urged her to publicly oppose all funding to Israel.  Last year, Ocasio-Cortez voted against an amendment that sought to cut $500m in U.S. funding for Israel’s Iron Dome system, and at the time she said the amendment did nothing to "cut off offensive aid to Israel nor end the flow of US munitions being used in Gaza”, according to The Guardian.

Now, Ocasio-Cortez has made a sharp turn as she said Israel’s allies should be funding the defense system, and the U.S. should focus on helping allies while being consistent with the "Leahy amendment and the foreign assistance act." "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. Further, according to City & State, which first reported on the development, citing a partial recording of the DSA forum, where Ocasio-Cortez stated her stance, the Democratic leader said she will commit to voting "no" if an opportunity presents itself in Congress on the approval of any spending on arms for Israel, including defensive systems. 

The statement also distinguishes her from other potential Democratic presidential candidates who have struggled to raise their criticism of Israel. California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who is also considered a frontrunner for candidacy, walked back on his comments about Israel as a "sort of an apartheid state," CNN reported. Following sharp reactions to his comment, he clarified to Politico that he regretted the comparison and that he meant to say he was concerned that Israel would go down that path under the direction of the far right that [Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu] is indulging.”