Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez faces backlash from Democratic Socialists for opposing an anti-Israel defense funding amendment.

Progressive Groups Slam AOC Over Israel Vote

Progressive U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., is facing intense criticism from left-wing groups after voting against an amendment that would have blocked U.S. funding for Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system. The controversy erupted after Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., introduced an amendment seeking to strip $500 million for Israeli military support from the annual defense appropriations bill.

The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) openly condemned Ocasio-Cortez’s vote, arguing that all arms should be kept “out of the hands of a genocidal military, no exceptions.” In a statement, the DSA declared, “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.”

The DSA acknowledged that Ocasio-Cortez voted against the overall defense spending bill, which they viewed as opposition to the “imperialist military-industrial complex and the Israeli genocide.” However, the organization expressed disappointment at her subsequent clarification regarding her position on the Iron Dome, insisting that “U.S.-funded interceptor systems have emboldened Israel to invade or bomb no less than five different countries in the past two years.”

Divisions Deepen Among Progressives

The DSA emphasized that Ocasio-Cortez’s recognition of Israel’s conduct made her vote even more disappointing. “The fact that Representative Ocasio-Cortez acknowledges that Israel is carrying out this genocide makes her support for military aid all the more disappointing and incongruous,” they wrote. The group called on her to consistently vote against Iron Dome funding, regardless of how it is packaged in Congress.

The DSA praised other progressive lawmakers, including Reps. Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar, Summer Lee, and Al Green, for their votes in favor of blocking the Iron Dome funds. The amendment itself was overwhelmingly defeated in a 6-422 vote, highlighting the lack of broader congressional support for reducing Israel’s missile defense funding.

Following the vote, Ocasio-Cortez took to social media to defend her position. She stated, “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.” She further explained, “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.”

Ocasio-Cortez asserted her continued commitment to cutting off U.S. munitions “being used to perpetuate the genocide in Gaza,” underscoring a key difference in approach among progressives regarding military aid to Israel. The congresswoman’s stance, while nuanced, has repeatedly placed her at odds with both her left-wing base and the Democratic Party establishment on the issue of U.S.-Israel relations.

This episode is not the first time Ocasio-Cortez has drawn criticism from her progressive supporters over Israel. In 2021, she famously wept on the House floor after voting “present” on Iron Dome funding. In a public letter at the time, she described her tears as a response to “the complete lack of care for the human beings that are impacted by these decisions.”

The defense funding bill at the center of the latest controversy allocates $832 billion for the 2026 fiscal year. While this legislation is distinct from the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which determines broader security policy, the battle over specific funding streams for Israeli military support continues to drive sharp ideological divisions among Democrats.

As the Democratic Party confronts internal disagreements over U.S. policy toward Israel and the Middle East, the debate surrounding Ocasio-Cortez’s vote signals ongoing tension within the progressive movement. With calls from organizations like the DSA for more forceful opposition to military aid, the question of how U.S. lawmakers approach future defense funding remains at the forefront of party debates.