Took long enough, but AOC finally tiptoes into criticizing Israel: ‘I will not support Congress sending more taxpayer dollars’

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has stated she will vote against all military aid to Israel, which marks a clear shift in her position. During a private virtual meeting with members of the New York City Democratic Socialists of America (NYC-DSA), she committed to opposing even “defensive capabilities” funding. This is a change from her earlier willingness to support systems like the Iron Dome missile defense system.

“I have not once ever voted to authorize funding to Israel, and I will never,” Ocasio-Cortez said when asked about supporting an arms embargo. According to City and State, she added, “The Israeli government should be able to finance their own weapons if they seek to arm themselves.” When asked to confirm if she would vote “no” on any arms spending for Israel, including defensive systems, she replied, “Yes.”

A NYC-DSA member expressed support for her stance, saying, “if and when you do vote ‘no,’ a ton of us have your back.” Ocasio-Cortez acknowledged the support. The DSA is an anti-Zionist organization that supports a ceasefire in Gaza and backs the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel. The group expects its endorsed candidates to oppose all aid to Israel.

AOC’s past record on Israel aid shows a more complicated picture

Ocasio-Cortez’s record on this issue has been mixed. In 2021, she voted “present” on a funding package for the Iron Dome rather than voting “no.” Last year, she voted against an amendment by former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene that would have removed Iron Dome funding from a defense bill. 

Fellow progressive “Squad” members Reps. Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar voted with Greene, but Ocasio-Cortez did not. She did vote against the overall Defense Appropriations Act, but released a statement saying she opposed “offensive aid” to Israel, not “defensive Iron Dome capacities.”

Ahead of the forum, nearly 300 DSA members signed a petition pledging to vote against endorsing her for reelection unless she committed to opposing all “military and settlement aid” to Israel, including Iron Dome funding. A competing petition supporting her endorsement gathered even more signatures, but the pressure from a vocal segment of her base was clear.

Israel has historically been the largest cumulative recipient of U.S. foreign aid since World War II. Adjusted for inflation, the U.S. has provided more than $300 billion in total economic and military assistance to Israel since 1948, according to the Council on Foreign Relations. 

According to KATV, the current 2019–2028 Memorandum of Understanding commits the U.S. to $38 billion over ten years, $33 billion in Foreign Military Financing and $5 billion for missile defense systems, roughly $3.8 billion per year. To understand how U.S. foreign aid programs are structured and funded, it helps to look at the broader picture of American assistance abroad.

Following the October 7 attacks, Congress approved additional packages including $3.5 billion in Foreign Military Financing and a broader $10.6 billion support package, allocating more funds toward missile defense programs like Iron Dome and Iron Beam. No other U.S. ally comes close to Israel in total cumulative aid received. 

Countries like Egypt, Afghanistan, and South Vietnam rank among the next-largest recipients, but Israel has received more than double the total aid of any of them. Regional tensions have also played a role in shaping U.S.-Israel relations, and how Israel handled its strikes on Iran raised eyebrows even among American officials.

During the forum, Ocasio-Cortez also said she would oppose any attempts to put the International Holocaust Remembrance Association (IHRA) definition of antisemitism into law. That definition labels certain criticism of Israel as antisemitic. However, she declined to back the NYC-DSA’s full slate of candidates, saying she would consider endorsing individual candidates on a case-by-case basis.

Several DSA-backed officials spoke in favor of endorsing her, including Assembly Members Claire Valdez and Diana Moreno, New York City Council Member Tiffany Cabán, congressional candidate Darializa Avila Chevalier, and state Senate candidate Aber Kawas. 

The NYC-DSA online endorsement vote is set to close on April 6. Ocasio-Cortez noted about her relationship with the DSA, “There are a lot of organizations with which I may have a more transactional political relationship. I do not seek a transactional relationship with DSA. I seek a relationship of mutuality and shared interest.”