Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is slamming the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, calling the group “racist” and “bigoted.”
“AIPAC endorsed scores of Jan. 6th insurrectionists. They are no friend to American democracy,” the New York Democrat wrote on X on Tuesday. “They are one of the more racist and bigoted PACs in Congress as well, who disproportionately target members of color. They are an extremist organization that destabilizes U.S. democracy.”
AIPAC is the largest pro-Israel PAC with more than 3 million grassroot members, according to its website. The committee on Monday shared on the social media site a list of lawmakers who had voted against the “Standing with Israel” House resolution from last week.
The post specifically mentioned Ms. Ocasio-Cortez, along with Reps. Thomas Massie, Kentucky Republican; Rashida Tlaib, Michigan Democrat; Ilhan Omar, Minnesota Democrat; Jamaal Bowman, New York Democrat and Summer Lee, Pennsylvania Democrat, as opposing Israel and not condemning Hamas.
In a response on Wednesday, AIPAC said the criticism was “More of the same tired lies & spin.”
“@AOC and the Squad summed up: People who disagree with us are racist,” AIPAC wrote in a rebuttal post aimed at Ms. Ocasio-Cortez. “AIPAC stands with pro-Israel Democrats and Republicans of all races, genders, and backgrounds who support the US-Israel alliance. And we oppose those who don’t, like you.”
Mr. Massie also responded to the initial AIPAC post Tuesday, saying that he “condemns the barbaric attack on Israel,” and affirms “Israel’s right to defend itself.”
“Instead of distorting my intent, why not post the reason I gave for voting against [House resolution] 771,” he said.
He wrote that he voted against the resolution because it called for sanctions, which “are a prelude to war and hurt the citizens of the country more than the government of the country that’s being sanctioned.”
The Kentucky Republican also said he voted it down because the measure had an “open-ended promise of military support,” and it broadens the war “to other countries when it would be better to keep the war contained geographically.”
“It asserts the necessity of foreign aid commitments which I have voted against,” he said. “Our country is going bankrupt and we can’t afford to borrow money to send overseas, yet this resolution states that we should.”
• Mallory Wilson can be reached at mwilson@washingtontimes.com.
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