(José Niño, Headline USA) Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, R-N.Y., and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., are back in the headlines after clashing over funding for Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system.
The most recent flashpoint occurred when Rep. Greene proposed an amendment to the 2026 Defense Appropriations Act seeking to cut $500 million in funding for Israel’s missile defense systems, including the Iron Dome. The House overwhelmingly rejected Greene’s amendment with a vote of 422-6, with AOC voting against the amendment, effectively supporting continued funding for Israel’s defense systems.
Greene argued that the United States, facing a $37 trillion national debt, should stop providing foreign aid to “nuclear-armed Israel,” which she claimed is “very capable of defending themselves.” Only six lawmakers supported the amendment: Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., Rep. Thomas Massie, R‑Ky., Rep. Al Green, D‑Texas, Rep. Summer Lee, D‑Pa., Rep. Ilhan Omar, D‑Minn., and Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D‑Mich.
Following criticism from progressive activists for voting against Greene’s amendment, AOC defended her position on social media. According to her statement on X (formerly Twitter):
“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”
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.
What it does do is cut off defensive Iron Dome capacities while allowing the actual bombs killing Palestinians to…
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) July 19, 2025
She continued: “What it does do is cut off defensive Iron Dome capacities while allowing the actual bombs killing Palestinians to continue. I have long stated that I do not believe that adding to the death count of innocent victims to this war is constructive to its end. ‘
The two congresswoman have been at loggerheads over the last 5 years.
The most inflammatory tweet exchange between the two congresswomen occurred in May 2021, during a period of heightened violence between Israel and Palestine. The controversy began when AOC posted a tweet condemning antisemitism, writing: “We will never, ever tolerate antisemitism here in NY or anywhere in the world. The recent surge in attacks is horrifying. We stand with our Jewish communities in condemning this violence.”
Greene responded with a highly inflammatory tweet that directly quoted her saying:
“@AOC you’re responsible for attacks on Jewish people bc of your hate-Israel stance against Israel’s right to defend itself from terrorists Hamas, calling Israel an apartheid state, & supporting terrorists groups. Aligning yourself with terrorists means your a terrorist.”
.@AOC you’re responsible for attacks on Jewish people bc of your hate-Israel stance against Israel’s right to defend itself from from terrorists Hamas, calling Israel an apartheid state, & supporting terrorists groups.
Aligning yourself with terrorists means your a terrorist. https://t.co/UJi6uGopx2 pic.twitter.com/scbL9cKuGD
— Marjorie Taylor Greene 🇺🇸 (@mtgreenee) May 22, 2021
Beyond the tweet exchanges, Greene has physically confronted AOC on multiple occasions. In May 2021, Greene aggressively approached AOC outside the House chamber, shouting questions and accusations. According to Washington Post reporters who witnessed the incident, Greene yelled: “Why do you support terrorists and antifa?” and “You don’t care about the American people.”
The controversy is complicated by AOC’s previous voting history on Israel funding. In September 2021, AOC initially opposed a $1 billion Iron Dome funding bill but changed her vote from “no” to “present” at the last minute, appearing to cry on the House floor. This drew criticism from both pro-Palestine activists who felt she had backed down and pro-Israel supporters who questioned her emotional display.
AOC’s recent vote against Greene’s amendment has drawn criticism from multiple sides. The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) condemned her vote, stating: “An arms embargo means keeping all arms out of the hands of a genocidal military, no exceptions. This is why we oppose Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s vote against an amendment that would have blocked $500 million in funding for the Israeli military’s Iron Dome program.”
José Niño is the deputy editor of Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/JoseAlNino
