AOC, Rashida Tlaib introduce Israel arms sales resolution that could set up unprecedented House debate

  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
Tim O'Donnell
·1 min read
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

A contingent of progressive House Democrats, headlined by Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), will introduce a resolution seeking to block a United States-proposed $735 million sale of bombs to Israel, Jewish Currents reports. The news comes after Democrats on the House Foreign Affairs Committee backed away from requesting the White House delay the arms sale.

Ocasio-Cortez appeared to confirm the plan in a Wednesday tweet outlining why she believes the U.S. should not be aiding Israel militarily during its ongoing conflict with Hamas, which has involved the Israeli Defense Forces carrying out air raids in Gaza that have killed more than 200 Palestinians in retaliation for rocket strikes on Israel.

This content is not available due to your privacy preferences.
Update your settings here to see it.

It's unlikely the resolution will pass the House, but Jewish Currents notes it could still "set up an unprecedented debate" in the lower chamber about the U.S.-Israel relationship. Read more at Jewish Currents.

More stories from theweek.com
Stephen Breyer is delusional about the Supreme Court
Paul Mooney, comedian and Richard Pryor Show writer, dies at 79
New York attorney general's criminal investigation is not good for Trump, but he was already in peril

Recommended Stories

  • AOC moves to block a $735 million arms sale to Israel, saying the US has a 'responsibility to protect human rights'

    "We should not be sending 'direct attack' weaponry to Prime Minister Netanyahu to prolong this violence," Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said.

  • AOC, Tlaib introduce resolution to halt weapons sale to Israel

    Progressive Democrats such as Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez and Rep. Rashida Tlaib are pressuring President Biden to do more to stop the violence in the region.

  • Knives Out 2 decides not to wait for it, adds Leslie Odom Jr.

    Last week, inspired by the daily string of excellent Knives Out 2 casting announcements, The A.V. Club got together and we made our own—all excellent—pitches for who should be in Rian Johnson’s whodunnit sequel. However, as reported by The Hollywood Reporter, Johnson’s latest offer went to someone we didn’t think of: Leslie Odom Jr., fresh off of an Oscar nomination for his work in One Night In Miami (and also he was apparently in something called Hamilton). He’ll be joining, in reverse order of when they were announced, Kathryn Hahn, Janelle Monáe, Edward Norton, Dave Bautista, and Daniel Craig (who, as far as we know at this point, will be the only returning character from the first movie). This casting also debunks our theory that Johnson was specifically picking up people who had been in Marvel movies, as up until now Craig and Monáe were the only ones who had never met Iron Man, so that was apparently just a statistical inevitability caused by how many actors have been in Marvel movies and not a conscious decision.

  • N.Korea defectors urge U.S. rights pressure as South's Moon leaves for Biden summit

    North Korean defectors and activists urged Joe Biden to ramp up pressure on North Korea over human rights as South Korean President Moon Jae-in headed to Washington on Wednesday for his first summit with the U.S. president. Moon is scheduled to arrive in Washington on Thursday for a four-day stay, which will include a series of summits with Biden and congressional leaders, as well as a visit to SK Innovation's battery plant in Georgia. Moon wants to use the summit to highlight the urgency of returning to long-stalled denuclearisation talks between the United States and North Korea, which has weighed on inter-Korean ties.

  • Why is the Israel lobby attacking Ilhan Omar?

    Ongoing Israeli air strikes and artillery bombardment of the Gaza Strip have killed hundreds of civilians. At time of writing, at least 213 Gazans had been killed, including 61 children, and the territory's beleaguered hospitals are overwhelmed with casualties. As Amira Haas reports at Haaretz, several individual homes have been bombed in the middle of the night with no warning — suggesting a deliberate intent to wipe out entire families, since the Israeli military has detailed information on Gaza residents and has provided evacuation warnings in other instances. Meanwhile, Hamas has fired thousands of rockets into Israel, but because almost all of them were intercepted by Israel's Iron Dome system, only 12 Israelis have been killed, including one child. Israel's actions have inspired unusually stark condemnations from left-wing Democratic members of Congress, including (but not limited to) Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Ilhan Omar of Minnesota. In response, the leading pro-Israel lobbying organization in the U.S., the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, has spent thousands of dollars on Facebook attack ads with the faces of Omar and Ocasio-Cortez superimposed on pictures of Hamas rockets — all but implying they are in league with the group: These ads are plainly dishonest (though not as bad as the 2019 ads that said Omar was "maybe more sinister" than ISIS, for which AIPAC apologized). In a recent speech, Omar condemned both Israeli bombing and Hamas rockets: "I understand, on a deeply human level, the pain and the anguish families are feeling in Palestine — and in Israel — at this moment … whether rocket attacks or air strikes, violence does nothing to make people more secure." Ocasio-Cortez has also said Hamas' actions are "condemnable[.]" Their criticism is focused primarily on Israel because that country is committing the overwhelming majority of the violence against civilians in the conflict, and because it receives both enormous subsidies and diplomatic protection from the U.S. government. America has little leverage over Hamas, but could easily pressure Israel into accepting a proposed ceasefire from Hamas it has so far rejected, or ending the occupation that is at the root of the conflict. One wonders why AIPAC feels the need to single out these two women of color (one of whom is a Muslim) and misrepresent what they are saying. More stories from theweek.comStephen Breyer is delusional about the Supreme CourtPaul Mooney, comedian and Richard Pryor Show writer, dies at 79New York attorney general's criminal investigation is not good for Trump, but he was already in peril

  • Democrats abandon push to delay Biden administration arms sale to Israel

    Lawmakers who wanted to protest the sale believe its timing sent the wrong message when the White House has resisted an aggressive cease-fire push in the Middle East.

  • Young Man Dies Protecting His Girlfriend From Carjackers in San Mateo, Two Suspects Arrested

    A 19-year-old Asian man was fatally shot while shielding his girlfriend from a group of carjackers in San Mateo, Calif., on Friday night. What happened: The victim, identified as Ashly Tianson of Daly City, according to the Mercury News, was shot in the parking lot of San Mateo Adult School at 789 East Poplar Avenue when the officers were dispatched around 9 p.m. Tianson was sitting in his car with his girlfriend when three people approached them and tried to take the vehicle, according to a GoFundMe started by the victim's brother.

  • Israeli tanks fire on Gaza

    Israeli artillery fired toward Gaza on Tuesday, as the conflict between Israel and Hamas showed no sign of abating. (May 18)

  • 'Very disappointed with Canada's response': Palestine-Israel turmoil exposes Canada's 'empty both sides approach,' expert says

    Thousands of people gathered in cities across Canada this past weekend for peaceful protests in support of the Palestinian solidarity movement, including rallies in Vancouver, Saint John, Ottawa and Toronto. As of today, at least 212 Palestinians, including 61 children, have been killed by the Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip. In Israel, officials say 12 people, including two children have been killed since the fighting started over a week ago. As the death toll escalates, activist groups and members of the public are expressing disappointment with the Canadian government’s lack of condemnation towards Israel. This discontent is being echoed by some politicians, with federal NDP leader Jagmeet Singh calling for Trudeau to halt the sale of arms to Israel “until the end of the illegal occupation.”

  • N.C. judge accused of trying to hit activist with car during police brutality protest

    The judge faces a misdemeanor charge of assault with a deadly weapon and has been summoned to appear in court next month.

  • SEAL Team - Nightmare of My Choice (Sneak Peek 2)

    Bravo joins forces with Alpha team to protect a crucial Nigerian pipeline that is under attack by Boko Haram. But when a team member is injured and Jason and Clay fight to save his life, Bravo discovers that an even more dangerous enemy is attacking them, on SEAL Team, Wednesday, May 19 at 9/8c. Only CBS

  • Property tax law convinces growing Idaho city to pause residential development

    “You are paying for growth in a reduction of services.”

  • Bidenomics may end in tears

    Biden wants to reprogram American capitalism and culture to address sexism, structural racism, and climate change.

  • 3 inmates killed in 1 week as feds sue Alabama over prisons

    Three men died in apparent inmate-on-inmate assaults in less than one week in Alabama prisons, a spate of death that happened as the state faces a Justice Department lawsuit over prison violence and legislators seek more information from the troubled system. The deaths happened this month in separate incidents at three different prisons, a spokeswoman for the Alabama Department of Corrections confirmed. The prison system said the deaths are being investigated.

  • Fund managers making late cyclical push with tech demand at three-year lows, Bank of America survey finds

    The Bank of America global fund manager survey for May found that investors were increasingly positioned to what it called "boom expectations" — with exposure to commodities, banks, materials, industrials, and U.K. and emerging market assets at highs relative to the last decade.

  • SEAL Team - Nightmare of My Choice (Sneak Peek 1)

    Bravo joins forces with Alpha team to protect a crucial Nigerian pipeline that is under attack by Boko Haram. But when a team member is injured and Jason and Clay fight to save his life, Bravo discovers that an even more dangerous enemy is attacking them, on SEAL Team, Wednesday, May 19 at 9/8c. Only CBS

  • GOP seeks political opening amid tense Israel-Hamas fighting

    Republicans trying to drive a wedge between Democrats and chip away at President Joe Biden’s support are zeroing in on the violence in the Middle East, laying blame on his administration and aiming to make his liberal critics the face of the party heading into the midterm elections. Ted Cruz of Texas and Tom Cotton of Arkansas, both potential White House hopefuls in 2024, have focused in particular on Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and other progressives for criticizing Israel amid an escalating volley of missiles and airstrikes in Hamas-controlled Gaza that has killed hundreds of civilians over the last week. The approach represents a new strategy for Republicans who have struggled to land consistent and effective criticism of Biden and his fellow Democrats during the opening months of his presidency.

  • Laura Ingraham: Left Used COVID Lockdowns To Groom Public For Climate Change Lockdowns

    The Fox News host told her crooked conspiracy theory with a straight face.

  • Texas governor signs 'fetal heartbeat' abortion ban

    Abbott: "Now, we're about to make it law."Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott on Wednesday signed into law a so called "fetal heartbeat" abortion bill that bans the procedure after about six weeks of pregnancy - sometimes before many women even know they're pregnant.It's part of a wave of similar abortion measures passed in Republican-led states - that bans the procedure once a fetal heartbeat is detected.The lawmakers who support such legislation have said it's intended to overturn Roe v. Wade, the U.S. Supreme Court's 1973 landmark ruling that guaranteed a woman's right to end her pregnancy.Just this week - the high court opened the door for such an overturn of Roe v. Wade - or at least a narrowing - by agreeing to review Mississippi's bid to ban abortions after 15 weeks.Abbott - "Our creator endowed us with the right to life, and yet millions of children lose their right to life every year because of abortion. In Texas we work to save those lives."The Texas law, which would take effect in September if it is not stopped by a court, allows citizens to bring a civil lawsuit against doctors or anyone who helps a woman get an abortion once a heartbeat is detected.In an open letter earlier this month, some 200 Texas physicians said they were worried the law would expose doctors to the risk of "frivolous lawsuits that threaten our ability to provide healthcare."Adding: "As licensed physicians in Texas, we implore you to not weaponize the judicial branch against us to make a political point."

  • The Range Rover was being sold for $4,500. Detectives say it’s a high-end theft ring

    Seven people — including three minors — were arrested earlier this month after detectives say they stole a Range Rover, stripped it of its GPS tracking system and then tried to sell it for $4,500, the Broward Sheriff’s Office said.