US Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib Backs Amendment to Block $3.3b in Military Aid to Israel

Web Desk

WASHINGTON: US Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib has announced that she will support an amendment in the House of Representatives seeking to block $3.3 billion in US military funding for Israel.

The amendment, introduced by Republican Congressman Thomas Massie, is part of the FY2027 State and National Security appropriations bill currently before the US House of Representatives.

In a post on X, Tlaib wrote: “This week, the House will vote on an amendment that would block $3.3 billion in military funding for the Israeli apartheid regime. I will vote yes.”

The proposed measure targets the $3.3 billion in annual US military assistance provided to Israel through the Foreign Military Financing (FMF) programme, a longstanding arrangement under which Washington helps fund Israel's defence purchases.

“We should not spend another cent arming a military that is committing genocide in Palestine, ethnically cleansing Lebanon, and committing war crimes in Iran,” Tlaib added.

She further said that a majority of Americans and a supermajority of Democrats “support ending military aid to Israel. It’s time their representatives listened.”

Several progressive lawmakers, including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Greg Casar, have also announced support for the measure.

If approved, the amendment would remove the annual $3.3 billion in US military financing for Israel from the federal budget. However, it would leave separate US funding for joint missile defence programmes, including the Iron Dome, unchanged.

The proposed vote comes amid growing debate in Washington over US military assistance to Israel and increasing calls from some lawmakers and activists to reassess American support in light of ongoing regional conflicts and humanitarian concerns.