Controversy erupted on Capitol Hill as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., faced sharp criticism for her claim that the House-passed National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) would “merge parts of our military with the Israel Defense Forces.” This assertion, made on X ahead of the vote, was decried as a misrepresentation of Section 219 of the bill, which Republicans and former Trump administration officials argued merely strengthens existing defense cooperation with Israel through expanded collaboration on technology, supply chains, research, AI, and joint exercises, rather than a literal military merger. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin called Ocasio-Cortez’s claim “FALSE,” suggesting she merge her reading comprehension with critical thinking, while Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., directly accused her of “stoking Jew hatred” and lying about the bill’s intent. Despite the strong pushback, some lawmakers who also opposed Section 219, such as Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., framed their concerns differently, lamenting the lack of a vote on their amendment to strip the provision and calling for transparency regarding the “integration of our military with Israel’s,” with Khanna vowing to continue the fight against the “pro-Israel lobby.”
Adapted from: Latest Political News on Fox News
