Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) proposed an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) on September 17 that would block a Unites States weapon sale aid from going to Israel.
According to a press release from Ocasio-Cortez’s office, the amendment would “suspend the transfer of Boeing Joint Direct Attack Munition weaponry under the $735 million direct commercial sale to the Israeli government” because it “would block the transfer of the same kind of Boeing weaponry that the Israeli government used to kill 44 Palestinians in one night in al-Rimal,” a neighborhood in Gaza City. She had introduced a similar resolution during the aftermath of the conflict between Israel and Hamas in May.
This amendment is one of seven that Ocasio-Cortez introduced; others included barring weapons sales to the unit of the Saudi Arabia government that killed journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018 as well as an amendment blocking “military aid, weaponry, and training” to Colombia.
In a tweet, Ocasio-Cortez said that the amendment is blocking the sale to Israel because of “the bombing of Palestinian civilians, media centers,” with the latter being a likely reference to Israel bombing the building in the Gaza Strip housing the Associated Press (AP).
In this year’s NDAA, I’ve intro’d 7 amendments, including blocking specific US weapons transactions to:
– Saudi gov over the murder of Jamal Khashoggi
– Colombia gov over its violent crackdown on protesters,&
– Israeli gov over the bombing of Palestinian civilians, media centers https://t.co/eMHIApDLAk— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) September 17, 2021
Some Jewish and pro-Israel groups criticized Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter.
“Slamming the Jewish nation in her new bill, AOC is silent when it comes to the 4500 terror rockets fired from Hamas, funded by US tax dollars,” Stop Antisemitism tweeted.
Slamming the Jewish nation in her new bill, AOC is silent when it comes to the 4500 terror rockets fired from Hamas, funded by US tax dollars 🤯 pic.twitter.com/eWX3Nov7te
— StopAntisemitism (@StopAntisemites) September 17, 2021
The Israel War Room Twitter account similarly tweeted that Ocasio-Cortez “neglects to mention that Hamas launching offensive rocket attacks and using civilians and media building as human shields are the leading cause of civilian deaths in Gaza.” Israeli Ambassador to the United States Gilad Erdan told AP executives in June that Hamas was using the building to “jam the Iron Dome.”
Of course, @AOC neglects to mention that Hamas launching offensive rocket attacks and using civilians and media building as human shields are the leading cause of civilian deaths in Gaza. https://t.co/USVjnzzQu1
— Israel War Room (@IsraelWarRoom) September 17, 2021
On the other hand, Jewish Voice for Peace, a group that supports the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, praised Ocasio-Cortez on Twitter. “The media may have turned its attention away from the US made bombs that Israel drops on Palestinians, but progressives in the House haven’t.”
🔥🔥🔥 Love to see @AOC retweeting @AdalahJustice! The media may have turned its attention away from the US made bombs that Israel drops on Palestinians, but progressives in the House haven't. Join @AOC in calling on Congress to #BlocktheBombs: https://t.co/aBkycpv7Ap https://t.co/IyBvzS25JC
— Jewish Voice for Peace NYC (@jvpliveNY) September 17, 2021
The Adalah Justice Project, a pro-Palestinian advocacy organization, called Ocasio-Cortez’s amendments “truly stellar” and urged people to pressure their members of Congress to support the amendments because “it’s past time to stop these weapons transfers.”
Truly stellar foreign policy initiative by @aoc to block weapons from human rights abusers including U.S.police, Saudi Arabia, Colombia and Israel https://t.co/ksSTpMoLIv
— #EndTheSiegeOnGaza (@AdalahJustice) September 17, 2021
Call your reps to ask that they support these amendments to the NDAA. It's past time to stop these weapons transfers. https://t.co/c3spWUE1ZZ
— #EndTheSiegeOnGaza (@AdalahJustice) September 17, 2021
Ocasio-Cortez’s office did not respond to the Journal’s request for comment.
