Liberal 'Squad' cuts $1 billion in funding for Israel's Iron Dome
'Outnumbered' panel discusses the possible motivation for the 'Squad' to take aim at the Iron Dome and the political fallout from the decision.
The president of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) blasted the members of the Democratic "Squad" for the defunding of Israel's Iron Dome defense system from the massive spending bill.
Responding to an op-ed published by The Times of Israel titled "The immorality of Democratic ‘progressives’ targeting Iron Dome," ADL president Jonathan Greenblatt tweeted, "It is unconscionable that a small group of Members of Congress -- the so-called 'Squad' -- demanded that the House leadership strip out funding for Israel’s Iron Dome before they would approve the [continuing resolution]."
DEMOCRATS STRIP $1B FOR ISRAEL'S IRON DOME FROM GOVERNMENT FUNDING BILL
"The Iron Dome is a defensive system designed to protect civilians. Innocent people of all ethnicities & faiths -- Jews, Muslims, Christians, Druze and others -- depend on the Iron Dome for protection when terror groups like Hamas + Hezbollah launch thousands of rockets at them," Greenblatt wrote on Wednesday. "It is a disgrace that the Squad succeeded. It emboldens Hamas & Hezbollah and others enemies of peace. To the MOCs who made the demands, look at the below. Every intercepted rocket was fired indiscriminately toward civilian centers with 1 goal: the brazen murder of innocents."
Greenblatt predicted the "shameful act" by the progressive lawmakers will "fuel further campaigns by anti-Zionist activists" as well as inflame anti-Semitic violence like what took place last spring amid the Israel-Gaza conflict.
"Make no mistake – human lives are at stake. Lawmakers are promising action and we demand Congress follows through. This funding has been delayed by both Democrats & Republicans for too long. We need an immediate bipartisan effort to fund the Iron Dome now," Greenblatt added.
The "Squad," which includes Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., and Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., were able to scrub the proposed $1 billion meant to continue funding the Iron Dome.
However, several moderate Democrats, including Michigan Rep. Elissa Slotkin, slammed the progressive victory.
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"Iron Dome is a purely *defensive* system — it protects civilians when hundreds of rockets are shot at population centers. Whatever your views on the Israeli-Pal conflict, using a system that just saved hundreds, if not thousands, of lives as a political chit is problematic," Slotkin tweeted on Tuesday. "So to target Iron Dome now means the issue isn’t a genuine concern over the system, but rather the desire to attack something - anything - related to the State of Israel; it’s devoid of substance and irresponsible."
On Wednesday, House Democrats introduced a separate bill that would provide the $1 billion in funding towards the Iron Dome.