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AOC blasted for ‘crocodile tears’ after voting present in Israeli Iron Dome funding debate

ISRAELI Prime Minister Naftali Bennett thanked the US for its support after Congress backed a controversial Bill to approve $1 billion (£729m) for Tel Aviv’s Iron Dome missile system.

“Those who try to challenge this support got a resounding response today,” he said in a statement after Thursday’s controversial vote.

Michigan representative Rashida Tlaib, the first Palestinian-American to be elected to Congress, has already led opposition to the Bill.

She called for a stop to “enabling Israel’s human rights abuses and apartheid government,” adding that the Palestinians are living under a “violent apartheid system.”

But Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has been accused of “absolute cowardice” for changing her vote from no to present at the last minute.

The New York congresswoman appeared to cry on the floor of the house after the vote, with many accusing her of “crocodile tears.”

Mohammed El-Kurd, the Palestinian activist who led the resistance to forced evictions in the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood in occupied east Jerusalem, slammed her actions.

“I heard they’re selling spines on ebay,” he said. 

“There is nothing defensive about giving the Israeli regime an additional $1 billion to spend on subjugation and bombarding millions of Palestinians in Gaza, a literal open-air prison.

“I highly doubt the average US taxpayer wants their money spent on ethnic cleansing abroad,” Mr El-Kurd added.

US-based writer Evan MCaris said: “Pretty heartbreaking to see the Nancy Pelosification of AOC in real time,” a reference to the Democratic speaker of the house.

Journalist Glenn Greenwald criticised her U-turn, saying that she “voted present, just like she voted present on Pelosi’s $2bn for the Capitol Police.”

The Bill passed overwhelmingly two days after pressure forced its initial removal from a broader spending Bill.

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