With the war between Israel and Palestine becoming increasingly violent, some progressive Democrats are throwing their political weight behind legislation that seeks to stop the U.S. flow of arms to the Middle East, and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is one of them.
The Congresswoman is one of three House members who have drafted a resolution that would halt the United States planned $735 million sale of bombs to Israel, according to Jewish Currents. The resolution is intended to prevent the U.S. from supplying Israel with munitions, made by Boeing, that come equipped with special guidance systems for more precise targeting. These are Small Diameter Bombs that the country is currently using to attack media outlets, apartment buildings, and other civilian-populated areas in Gaza.
“At a time when so many, including our President, support a ceasefire, we should not be sending ‘direct attack’ weaponry to Prime Minister Netanyahu to prolong this violence,” AOC wrote in an email. “It is long past time to end the US policy of unconditional military arms sales, particularly to governments that have violated human rights.”
AOC isn’t alone in her condemnation of Biden’s response to the conflict in the Middle East. Though the president’s current position is that Israel, a longtime ally of the United States, has a “right to defend herself,” plenty of progressive members of his party see what’s happening in Gaza as a one-sided fight. Though Hamas targeted Israel first, the country’s advanced defense system ensured that there were few casualties, which is a stark contrast to what’s happening in Palestine as dozens of women and children have been killed by bombs supplied to Israel by the U.S. government.
AOC took to Twitter to clarify her position in the ongoing debate on Capitol Hill that has members within the Democratic party arguing over human rights issues and who deserves American aid during this crisis.
“The United States should not be rubber-stamping weapons sales to the Israeli government as they deploy our resources to target international media outlets, schools, hospitals, humanitarian missions, and civilian sites for bombing,” she posted before encouraging her followers to contact their representatives. “We have a responsibility to protect human rights.”
The United States should not be rubber-stamping weapons sales to the Israeli government as they deploy our resources to target international media outlets, schools, hospitals, humanitarian missions and civilian sites for bombing.
We have a responsibility to protect human rights. https://t.co/OctBNYFpwp
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) May 19, 2021
Though the resolution sponsored by AOC, Wisconsin Congressman Mark Pocan, and Michigan Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib probably won’t influence this current arms sale, it does signal a change when it comes to relations between the U.S. and Israel, which is currently run by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“The harsh truth is that these weapons are being sold by the United States to Israel with the clear understanding that the vast majority of them will be used to bomb Gaza,” Tlaib said in a statement. “You cannot claim to support human rights and peace on Earth and continue to back the extremist Netanyahu regime, it’s that simple.”
(Via Jewish Currents)