United States Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) introduced an amendment to the US defense budget last week that would suspend the transfer of $735 million worth of Boeing Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) to the State of Israel.
The lawmaker also called on her government to halt weapons sales to Colombia for human rights abuses and Saudi Arabia over the regime’s alleged role in the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
In the typical fashion of liberal American politicians, however, AOC attacked the recipients of US arms but failed to mention the role of Boeing and the US arms industry more broadly in profiting from human suffering and upholding US dominance throughout the world.
Gilad Erdan, Israel’s current ambassador to both the United States and the United Nations, criticized AOC for her amendment, stating that he would “expect a Congressperson to understand that Israel is defending its citizens against Hamas.”
But Erdan is of course missing the larger point.
The fact that such an amendment was proposed and such a discussion is taking place among US lawmakers should come as no surprise to anyone paying attention to American political trends. AOC’s amendment is a clear sign of the times. And while understandably foreboding at first glance, it actually presents Jerusalem with an important opportunity that should be seized.
For reasons already stated by Vision Magazine several times, Israel must act fast to become militarily independent.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez isn’t some fringe voice in contemporary US politics but a charismatic young lawmaker representing the next generation of Americans and voicing opinions considered mainstream by that generation. Calls to cut military support to Israel will likely only increase in coming years and Jerusalem should make every effort to decrease our dependency on matters of defense before they do.
Israel’s current government – ostensibly led by Prime Minister Naftali Bennett (Yamina) but actually driven by Foreign Minister Yair Lapid (Yesh Atid) – has so far demonstrated a dangerous naivety on the diplomatic front. In fact, Israel’s current leadership appears to be operating as if the shallow soundbites heard at AIPAC functions and hasbara events actually depict the reality of the US-Israel relationship.
In the short months since replacing a prime minister who might have spent a dozen years quietly protecting Israel from Washington, Lapid’s “change government” has already agreed to US veto power over Israeli moves against Iran, cooling Jerusalem’s relationship with the People’s Republic of China and replacing the Israeli-made Tavor with the American M4 in many Israeli combat battalions.
At a time when less and less young Americans have any interest in supporting Israel, increasing our dependency on Washington makes no rational sense.
But if properly understood, AOC’s amendment to the US defense budget can serve as a much needed wake up call for Israel’s political leadership. And more importantly, it offers sound justification for weaning Israel off of US military aid.
When former Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu (Likud) spoke openly of decreasing Israel’s reliance on Washington in the late 1990s, he took a political hit because most Israelis had come to see their survival as dependent on US support. But now that the open hostility towards Israel among younger Americans has begun to reach the level of celebrities and elected officials, Israeli leaders should be able to speak honestly to the public about the need for independence.
If this government isn’t led by such leaders, we should hope that it speedily be replaced by one that is.
With AOC being a contributor to the BDS movement and a Congress member, she and others in our government have dangerous ideas which are being accepted as gold. I pray for our country to do what is right and honorable and know that Israel is the apple of YWHW eye, she will never be overcome.