The far left says AOC didn't go far enough against Israel. That's concerning.
On July 18, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Georgia, introduced a defense appropriations amendment that would strip Israel of funding for its Iron Dome missile defense system. The amendment garnered just six votes in support.
One of the surprising votes against the amendment came from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-New York, who is not an ally of Israel.
Ocasio-Cortez has accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza and voted against all other funding for Israel's offensive capabilities. So voting against stripping Israel of Iron Dome funding might seem like a switch for her. It's not. She ultimately voted against the larger legislation to help Israel.
Still, her vote on the failed amendment was met with backlash from the far left because she wasn't aggressive enough in her denunciation of Israel.
That criticism of AOC makes it clear that even just opposing Israel's offensive in Gaza is not enough for the anti-Israel left, who demand that you also support stripping Israel of its defenses. They are not interested in peace; they are interested in more dead Jewish people.The far left and far right have something in common there.
AOC's position on Israel isn't enough for the far left
'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,' said Ocasio-Cortez on X. 'What it does do is cut off defensive Iron Dome capacities while allowing the actual bombs killing Palestinians to continue.'
While I disagree with Ocasio-Cortez's characterization of Israel's campaign in Gaza, her position makes sense from her perspective that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza.
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AOC eventually voted against the final defense spending bill itself, which authorized an additional $600 million in aid to Israel. However, that wasn't enough for the far left. The Democratic Socialists of America, by whom AOC was once endorsed, demanded she go further against Israel. They are upset that AOC didn't also support the amendment.
'An arms embargo means keeping all arms out of the hands of a genocidal military, no exceptions,' wrote the Democratic Socialists of America in a statement. '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 Iron Dome is Israel's only defense against rocket attacks from any of its hostile neighbors. About 30,000 projectiles have been fired into Israel since the Oct. 7, 2023, terror attacks, which started the latest war between Israel and the Hamas terrorist organization that controls the Gaza Strip.
Democrats remain divided on Gaza
Those who are against funding for the Iron Dome aren't trying to limit Israel's ability to continue its military campaign in Gaza. They are trying to strip Israel of its defensive capabilities, leading to its destruction.
The very same can be said about the Republicans who voted in favor of Greene's amendment.
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In 2024, the issue of Gaza isn't why the Democrats lost, but it certainly did not help. People have theorized that it contributed to why Vice President Kamala Harris chose Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz over Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro as her running mate in her presidential campaign, and it probably contributed to Harris losing the swing state of Michigan.
The anti-Israel left is not the dominant wing of the Democratic Party, but they certainly have influence. AOC is learning this now, and it's something she needs to navigate if she has aspirations to higher office as a Democrat.
The far left demands complete agreement on their slate of issues, and that makes them a difficult group to navigate for Democrats, even for someone like AOC. They must figure out how to win without these voters, or how to weave them back into the fold if they want electoral success.
Dace Potas is an opinion columnist for USA TODAY and a graduate of DePaul University with a degree in political science.
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