AOC Faces Death Threats, Vandalism After Voting Against Amendment to Cut Israel Iron Dome Funding

Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York has received death threats and her campaign office has been vandalized with a message accusing her of supporting Israel’s military actions in Gaza after she voted against an amendment that would have cut funding for Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system. “Last night, our campaign office in the Bronx was vandalized and we are in the process of cleaning it up,” Oliver Hidalgo-Wohlleben, Ocasio-Cortez’s campaign manager and senior advisor, posted on X on Monday night. “In the past few days, we also have received multiple threats on the Congresswoman’s life and we are treating this seriously with our security partners to make sure she, our staff, and volunteers are safe.” Video footage of the office, shared by New York-based news outlets, showed red paint splattered on the building and a sign hanging up that read, “AOC funds genocide in Gaza.” Authorities have not yet made any arrests in connection to the vandalism, Politico reported. Ocasio-Cortez has been a vocal critic of Israel’s actions in Gaza, but she sparked outcry from some progressives after voting on Friday against the amendment, introduced by Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, to the defense spending bill. The New York Congresswoman defended her vote in a post on X over the weekend. “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,” she said. “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,” she continued. “I remain focused on cutting the flow of US munitions that are being used to perpetuate the genocide in Gaza.” The amendment didn’t end up making it into the final version of the defense spending bill passed by the House on Friday, which Ocasio-Cortez voted against. She responded to the criticism in another post on X on Monday, including screenshots showing that she voted against the spending bill and adding, “If you’re saying I voted for military funding, you are lying. Receipts attached.”