DSA is committed in principle and practice to anti-Zionism, to BDS, and to Palestinian liberation. And yet our elected elected representatives have repeatedly crossed this line.
Most recently, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, one of the highest profile elected socialists, openly defended funding for the Iron Dome.
As socialists we must support the fight for a Free Palestine, and all struggles against colonization. We must relentlessly work to bring the American working class into anti-imperial struggle.
On July 19th, DSA's National Political Committee issued the following statement in response to AOC's vote.
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Yesterday, the US Congress once again increased spending on war instead of the services and protections that working people desperately need. In a vote of 221 to 209, Congress approved H.R.4016, the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, sending a staggering $831.5 billion to the Pentagon. This money will be used to fund militarism abroad and Israel’s ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people.
The Democratic Socialists of America stand in unwavering solidarity with the Palestinian people in their ongoing struggle for liberation and against the United States-backed Israeli genocide in Gaza. This means opposing any and all funding to Israel as it continues its genocide, including a full arms embargo. 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’ vote against an amendment that would have blocked $500 million in funding for the Israeli military’s Iron Dome program. While the Congresswoman voted against the defense appropriations bill itself, voting against funding for the imperialist military-industrial complex and the Israeli genocide, we were further deeply disappointed by her clarifying statement on her position on the Iron Dome. Along with other US-funded interceptor systems, the Iron Dome has emboldened Israel to invade or bomb no less than five different countries in the past two years.
Providing any aid to Israel as they carry out a genocide with U.S. support is completely unacceptable. This is even more true of military aid of any kind. Any funds that go to Israel assist this brutal genocide. Any support for Israel legitimizes its eliminationist campaign against the Palestinian people. 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. We urge the representative to continue voting against the Iron Dome, whether it is part of a larger defense spending bill or as a stand-alone bill.
We are proud that DSA member and congresswoman Rep. Rashida Tlaib – as well as allies Reps. Ilhan Omar, Summer Lee, and Al Green – voted to cut this military money to Israel, in opposition to 422 members of Congress, before voting no on the overall package.
As DSA member Rashida Tlaib said: “Our country is obsessed with war. Every year, Congress votes to invest in death and destruction instead of health care, housing, clean air and water, or ending child poverty here at home.” While the Trump administration funds war and death abroad, it is cutting crucial social services like Medicaid, cracking down on domestic civil liberties, and giving massive tax breaks to the rich.
DSA reiterates our call for an Arms Embargo on Israel. Not one more cent should go to fund the genocide of the Palestinian people. We won’t stop until Palestine is free, those responsible for this war are held to account, and we have a government that works for the working class majority, not the rich and powerful.
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While this statement is correct in its rhetoric, a statement alone is not sufficient.
We, the undersigned, demand DSA’s NPC call an emergency session to discuss AOC’s statement and how our organization should respond.