The Democratic Socialists of America withdrew its endorsement of “Squad” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio–Cortez, D-N.Y., for not being far left enough on Israel’s military strike in Gaza.
In a memo on Wednesday, the DSA acknowledged Ocasio–Cortez has taken some “courageous positions on Palestine,” but said she has not done enough to oppose Israel.
The memo cited her recent panel with leaders from the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, calling it a “deep betrayal to all those who’ve risked their welfare to fight Israeli apartheid and genocide through political and direct action in recent months, and in decades past.”
The DSA also took issue with “[Ocasio-Cortez’s] votes, including a vote in favor of H.Res.888, conflating opposition to Israel’s ‘right to exist’ with antisemitism,” and a press release in April she co-signed that “support[s] strengthening the Iron Dome and other defense systems.”
Because of this, the DSA said it would be revoking its endorsement of Ocasio–Cortez, which it gave to her in June on the condition that she publicly oppose all funding to Israel, participate in the DSA committee, publicly oppose criminalization of all “anti-Zionism,” and publicly support efforts to “end Israel settler-colonialism.”
The group added, “A national DSA endorsement comes with a serious commitment to the movement for Palestine and our collective socialist project. To build a socialist movement that’s capable of defeating capitalism, we must demand more from leaders in our movement.”
In 2018, Ocasio–Cortez became the first female member of the DSA to be elected to Congress, alongside her fellow “Squad” Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich. She is still endorsed by the DSA’s New York chapter.
Ocasio–Cortez has been openly critical of the Biden administration’s continued support for Israel and has demanded that President Joe Biden pressure Israel to agree to a permanent ceasefire against Hamas.
However, other groups that considered themselves central to her political rise, such as the Justice Democrats, have likewise signaled that the former bartender from the Bronx has lost site of their core values on her climb up the political ladder.
She has not commented on the DSA’s withdrawal of support for her campaign.
