Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., said Israel is using U.S. military aid to violate human rights in Gaza.
Ocasio-Cortez made her comments Monday night in a tele-town hall meeting after a caller told her he wanted the Biden administration to defund Israel.
"Thousands of confirmed constituents have been calling into my office, calling for a cease-fire, calling for the conditioning of aid," she said in a video clip posted by Forbes. "It's not just my view, but it's also the view of our community that what we are witnessing is the gross violation of human rights in Gaza that is being done with U.S. military assistance.
"One of the things I have been raising continually is the nature of U.S. aid to Israel and how unique it has been and the way that, in my view, it has been potentially added to the unreal human costs off what we're seeing in Gaza.
"The United States does not condition the aid to Israel, not in the way it does to nearly any one of other allies. We've heard this sentiment repeated by the U.S. administration saying that there's no 'red line' when it comes to us aid to Israel. I want to be clear that I'm in complete disagreement and opposition to that policy."
Ocasio-Cortez claimed the U.S. is "risking writing a blank check for atrocities" by continuing the unchecked military aid policy to Israel.
"And I do not believe that is a responsible policy," she said.
The New York Post reported that Ocasio-Cortez previously had accused Israel of committing "war crimes" in retaliation against Hamas terrorists in Gaza for its Oct. 7 attacks, killing 1,200 Israelis.
"War crimes don't further constitute and justify war crimes," Ocasio-Cortez said Monday.
Jeffrey Rodack ✉
Jeffrey Rodack, who has nearly a half century in news as a senior editor and city editor for national and local publications, has covered politics for Newsmax for nearly seven years.
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