Tribalism is a hallmark of the Left. But sometimes it goes way too far.
Now a leading Congressional Democrat got betrayed by supporters for one idiotic mistake.
AOC Faces Backlash from Far-Left for Iron Dome Vote
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) is under fire from her progressive allies, particularly the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), for voting against an amendment proposed by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) to block $500 million in U.S. funding for Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system.
The amendment, part of the $832 billion defense spending bill for fiscal year 2026, was overwhelmingly defeated in a 6-422 vote on July 17, 2025.
The DSA slammed Ocasio-Cortez, accusing her of inconsistency in opposing what they call Israel’s “genocidal military” while failing to support a measure that could have restricted funding for its defensive capabilities.
Their statement over the weekend read, “An arms embargo means keeping all arms out of the hands of a genocidal military, no exceptions. This is why we oppose Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’[s] vote against an amendment that would have blocked $500 million in funding for the Israeli military’s Iron Dome program.”
Ocasio-Cortez’s Defense Falls Flat Amid Ideological Tensions
In response to the backlash, Ocasio-Cortez took to X on July 18, 2025, to clarify her vote:
“Marjorie Taylor Greene’s amendment does nothing to cut off offensive aid to Israel nor end the flow of US munitions being used in Gaza. Of course I voted against it. What it does do is cut off defensive Iron Dome capacities while allowing the actual bombs killing Palestinians to continue. I have long stated that I do not believe that adding to the death count of innocent victims to this war is constructive to its end.”
The DSA, however, dismissed her explanation as “deeply disappointing and incongruous,” arguing that her acknowledgment of Israel’s alleged “genocide” should compel her to oppose all military aid, including defensive systems like Iron Dome.
They further claimed that U.S.-funded systems have “emboldened Israel to invade or bomb no less than five different countries in the past two years.”
Democrats Divided as Israel Policy Exposes Party Fault Lines
The controversy over Ocasio-Cortez’s vote is not an isolated incident but part of a broader pattern of discord within the Democratic Party over Israel policy.
In 2021, Ocasio-Cortez faced similar criticism when she voted “present” on a standalone bill to fund Iron Dome, later admitting in an open letter that she “wept” over the “complete lack of care for the human beings” impacted by such decisions.
Her emotional response did little to quell progressive outrage, which resurfaced with her recent vote.
Meanwhile, the DSA praised Reps. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), Summer Lee (D-Pa.), and Al Green (D-Texas) for opposing the amendment, signaling their alignment with the far-left’s uncompromising stance.
The broader defense bill, separate from the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), passed last week, but the lopsided defeat of Greene’s amendment reflects Congress’s strong bipartisan support for Israel’s defense.
