WATCH: AOC Cries On House Floor After Funding For Israel’s Defense Passes (VIDEO)
The House of Representatives on Thursday afternoon passed controversial legislation that includes providing an additional $1 billion to Israel to restock its Iron Dome anti-air defense system following a major flare-up in fighting with Hamas in Gaza last May. The vote was widely characterized as a landslide victory against ‘the Squad’ including AOC and Ilhan Omar.
NOW – Tears on the House floor: AOC appears to be crying as the House passed a $1 billion funding for Israel's Iron Dome. She voted no, then switched her vote to present last minute.pic.twitter.com/jjq3kw7R4v
— Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) September 23, 2021
Progressive Democrats, including Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, and Rashida Tlaib, were successful in their efforts to get the $1 billion for Israel removed from the temporary funding measure that passed the House of Representatives on Tuesday. Conservatives, on the other hand, have used this to portray Democrats as “anti-Israeli,” and some have even gone so far as to accuse progressives who are opposing the provision of being motivated by “anti-Semitism.”
This follows remarks made by Rep. Tliab on the House floor, who said, “We cannot top be talking only about Israelis need for safety at a time when Palestinians are living under a violent apartheid system.”
Charles Fleischmann, a Republican representative from Tennessee, responded in kind:
“I ask the majority to condemn the comments that were just made by their member.”
The resulting vote was a landslide 420-9, with just eight Democratic “no” votes and one Republican “no” vote among the 420 votes cast. Additionally, Representative Joe Wilson of South Carolina came out swinging. “The Democratic Party has come under an extraordinary, bizarre influence of a group of anti-semites who also hate the state of Israel.”
Prior to the vote, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said that the House will continue to assist Israel under the terms of a 2016 aid agreement between the United States and Israel, which calls for $500 million in yearly missile defense financing.
In the course of the hour-long discussion, Pelosi said, “”The funding being appropriated today simply continues and strengthens this support,” “Passage of this bill reflects the great unity, in Congress on a bipartisan and bicameral basis, for Israel. Security assistance to Israel is vital, because Israel security is an imperative for America’s security.”
The truth is that the $1 billion is already on top of the approximately $3.8 billion in yearly contributions from American taxpayers to Israel.
During a ten-day conflict between Israel and Hamas in May of last year, many people died. In the midst of the hundreds of missiles fired by Hamas and Israeli airstrikes on Gaza, 250 Palestinians were murdered, including 60 children, according to the United Nations. A total of 13 Israelis died, all of them civilians, on the Israeli side of things.
