An amendment that would have cut $500 million in military aid to Israel failed in the House. Tel Aviv is conducting a genocide that is largely funded by Washington.
The amendment was introduced by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), who argued that Israel should receive less funding from the US as Tel Aviv possesses nuclear weapons. “I’m entering amendments to strike $500 million more for nuclear-armed Israel. And it’s important to say nuclear-armed Israel, because they do have nuclear weapons,” Greene told Steve Bannon on his podcast.
“And we already give them $3.4 billion every single year in the state, from the State Department. $3.4 billion every single year. They don’t need another $500 million in our defense budget. That’s for the American people’s defense,” she added.
Greene’s amendment received support from Republican Thomas Massie and four progressive Democrats, Al Green, Summer Lee, Rashida Tlaib, and Ilhan Omar. The vote was 422-6. The amendment would have removed the $500 million in military assistance to Israel that is approved through the defense spending bill.
In her speech on the House floor, Greene argued that Israel is providing welfare for its citizens because the US is covering 15-20% of its military spending. “Israel is a nuclear-armed nation. They can defend themselves. They have universal healthcare and subsidized college. Meanwhile, Americans are $37 trillion in debt,” she said.
New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez received criticism for voting against the administration. In a statement on her vote, she wrote on X, “Marjorie Taylor Greene’s amendment does nothing to cut off offensive aid to Israel nor end the flow of US munitions being used in Gaza. Of course I voted against it.”
The US funding Israel’s air and missile defenses helps to insulate Tel Aviv from the repercussions of its belligerence. After Tel Aviv launched an aggressive war on Iran last month, the US used up to 20% of its THAAD interceptors to defend Israel from Iranian retaliation.
The US provides Israel with $3.8 billion in military aid each year. Washington surged security assistance to Tel Aviv following the October 7 Hamas attack. The US has financed roughly 70% of Israel’s war-related military spending since then.
