Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (Twitter)
May 19, 2021 By Allie Griffin
Congress Member Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez introduced a joint resolution Wednesday in opposition to U.S. weapons sales to Israel.
The resolution — also introduced by Reps. Mark Pocan and Rashida Tlaib — aims to stop the sale of $735 million worth of weapons to Israel that are currently in the process of being sold. Her resolution comes during the second week of violence between Israel and Hamas, a Palestinian militant group based in Gaza.
Ocasio-Cortez said the U.S. has played a role in the death and displacement of Palestinians through its arms trade with Israel.
“For decades, the U.S. has sold billions of dollars in weaponry to Israel without ever requiring them to respect basic Palestinian rights,” she said. “In so doing, we have directly contributed to the death, displacement and disenfranchisement of millions.”
The Queens-Bronx congresswoman urged the Biden administration to rethink the weapons sale. Many U.S.-made weapons are being used in the current conflict, she said.
“At a time when so many, including President Biden, support a ceasefire, we should not be sending ‘direct attack’ weaponry to Prime Minister Netanyahu to prolong this violence,” she said.
More than 200 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli air strikes, while at least 10 Israelis have been killed by rockets launched by Hamas.
The approval of the pending weapons sale, according to Tlaib, would show the world that the U.S. doesn’t care about the lives of Palestinians.
“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.
“Approving this sale now, while failing to even try to use it as leverage for a ceasefire, sends a clear message to the world – the U.S. is not interested in peace, and does not care about the human rights and lives of Palestinians.”
She also condemned Netanyahu’s administration in her statement.
“You cannot claim to support human rights and peace on Earth and continue to back the extremist Netanyahu regime, it’s that simple,” she said.
Seven additional legislators have co-sponsored the legislation and more than 70 organizations have endorsed it. Reps. Cori Bush, Betty McCollum, Ayanna Pressley, Ilhan Omar, Pramila Jayapal and Andre Carson are all initial co-sponsors.
The Biden administration negotiated the multibillion-dollar sale with Israel before the current violence erupted. President Joe Biden has since asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to “de-escalate” the conflict, but the sale is still moving forward.
The three legislators introduced the resolution following a news report that Queens Congress Member Gregory Meeks, who chairs the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, had called for an emergency meeting with the committee to discuss the weapons sale.
Meeks was expected to send a letter to Biden requesting a delay of the sale so that lawmakers could have more time to review. He later decided not to call for the delay after the president agreed to speak to committee members on the matter, according to reports.
Ocasio-Cortez introduced the resolution days after she sent a series of tweets condemning Israel’s treatment of Palestinians.
“Apartheid states aren’t democracies,” she wrote in one tweet.
In another tweet, she called out the Biden administration for not doing enough to bring the conflict to a halt.
This is happening with the support of the United States.
I don’t care how any spokesperson tries to spin this. The US vetoed the UN call for ceasefire.
If the Biden admin can’t stand up to an ally, who can it stand up to?
How can they credibly claim to stand for human rights? https://t.co/bXY99O3Wqp
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) May 15, 2021
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7 Comments
Hmmm, I guess you all missed the part where Israel was attacked first? Shame on all of you. Guess none of you ever heard of the Holocaust ?
I don’t understand why some people from all over the world move to Israel to displace (by military force) native arabs living there since they were born just because some religious fanatics believe that a god favored them and promised them land no matter who lives on that land.
I don’t understand how a holocaust committed by Germans is related to native arabs who are being displaced by an apartheid state.
Before falling for religious fanatic misinformation here, I advise anybody who likes to get to know what is going on in the region to read official UN reports that recognized Israel’s atrocities against native arabs living there.
native Arabs? Apartheid state? You need a history lesson. Unbelievable to read something like this. Maybe watch Bill Maher, you is the darling of your side of the tracks after all, maybe you will understand it better from him. So Hamas rains down 4000 missiles and Israel is not supposed to respond? Really ?
I support AOC for the first time! Siding by the oppressed.
I am embarrassed that she represents my district. Our nation is doomed by these social media darlings.
AOC is correct! I don’t agree with her too many times but in this instance she is correct. American weapons are killing innocent Palestinian children in numbers far in excess of the deaths of Israelis. This blind support of Israel has to stop.
It’s sad