Israel-Hating Dem 'Squad' Tries to Turn Israel's Vaunted Iron Dome Into a Useless Hunk of Steel
When hostilities in the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict broke out in May, the Iranian-backed terrorist group Hamas fired more than 4,000 rockets into Israel. Thanks to Iron Dome, the country’s missile defense system, over 90 percent of them were intercepted.
The missile shield clearly saved the lives of thousands of civilians. The video below shows the Iron Dome in action.
Rockets by Hamas terrorists Vs Interceptors from Israel’s Iron Dome (air defense system). pic.twitter.com/lsWW80fnzB
— Anshul Saxena (@AskAnshul) May 12, 2021
While effective, this protection is not cheap. Estimates for the interceptor missiles used to shoot down the incoming rockets range from $50,000 to $100,000.
Meanwhile, in an effort to avoid a government shutdown, House Democrats passed a stop-gap spending bill on Tuesday. Congress faces a Sept. 30 deadline to pass this legislation, which will fund the government through early December.
Following the Israeli-Palestinian war in May, President Joe Biden had promised to replenish Israel’s interceptors, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Missing from the bill, however, is $1 billion which had been earmarked for Iron Dome.
It certainly wasn’t a question of saving money. Given the trillions in new spending on additional entitlements Democrats are trying to ram through Congress, a $1 billion expenditure to defend our closest ally in the Middle East is insignificant.
This item was removed at the insistence of Democratic Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and Pramila Jayapal of Washington, better known as “The Squad.” This group’s anti-Semitic sentiments are well-known and they seek to do everything they can to abandon and isolate Israel, a nation they have called an “apartheid state.”
Upon hearing that this funding had been stricken from the bill, Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid called for crisis talks. The Daily Mail reports that House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer assured Lapid the move was merely a “technical delay.”
According to the Daily Mail, Lapid was told that funding for the Iron Dome will be provided in a defense bill later this year.
During his August visit with Biden, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett asked for help in replenishing and rearming Iron Dome and Biden said the U.S. would honor his request.
Republicans are concerned about how quickly House Democratic leaders caved to the progressives’ demands. With a paper-thin majority and the urgency to avoid a government shut-down, they barely put up a fight.
The Mail reported that at one point during the session, House Rules Chair Rep. Jim McGovern, a Democrat, halted debate due to what he called a ‘little glitch’ — which was the progressives’ refusal to support the bill unless the funding for Iron Dome was removed.
The Journal’s editorial board noted that “Iron Dome has enjoyed strong bipartisan support. … The funding was shot down because a growing number of Democrats oppose anything that would help Israel, even if it promotes peace. Supporters of Israel should take note. If Iron Dome can lose Democratic Party support, then there is nothing pro-Israel that won’t be in jeopardy in Congress.”
“Hamas rockets are meant to kill Israeli civilians, but Iron Dome also saves Palestinian lives,” the editors wrote. “When the rocket attacks are futile and Israeli casualties are prevented, there’s less domestic pressure on Israel’s political leaders to escalate their military response. Iron Dome was one big reason the Hamas rocket offensive in the spring did not provoke a costly Israeli ground invasion. The system’s deployment and improvement, with U.S. funding, also helps develop technology that can be used to defend Americans.”
Republican leaders immediately condemned the Democrats for not standing with Israel.
BREAKING → Democrats just pulled funding from the Iron Dome—the missile defense system that has saved countless lives in Israel from Hamas’ rocket attacks.
While Dems capitulate to the antisemitic influence of their radical members, Republicans will always stand with Israel.
— Kevin McCarthy (@GOPLeader) September 21, 2021
Israel’s Iron Dome saves lives from Hamas’ rocket attacks.
Why would Democrats refuse to stand with our ally?
— Rep. Elise Stefanik (@RepStefanik) September 21, 2021
Tragic. Dem leadership surrenders to the anti-Semitic Left.
They hate Israel so much that Dems are stripping $1 BILLION in funding for Iron Dome—a purely defensive system that protects countless innocent civilians from Hamas rockets.
Will any Dems have the courage to denounce? https://t.co/2TzLw7uR96
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) September 21, 2021
According to The Daily Mail, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has vowed to oppose this bill in the Senate.
This latest episode really makes one wonder why Jews still support the Democratic Party in such large numbers. Not only do the Democrats care little about Israel, their progressive wing is working to purposely make them defenseless the next time they are attacked by Islamic terrorists.
It seems to me that their interests would be far better served by Republicans.
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