Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) got into another spat online on Tuesday.
The Democratic pair, whose divergent views on Israel have previously led to online back-and-forths, sparred after Ocasio-Cortez accused the U.S. government of enabling “a genocide of Palestinians.”
“The horrors unfolding in northern Gaza are the result of a completely unrestrained Netanyahu gov, fully armed by the Biden admin while food aid is blocked and patients are bombed in hospitals,” Ocasio-Cortez said on X. “This is a genocide of Palestinians. The US must stop enabling it. Arms embargo now.”
United Nations officials say the amount of aid entering Gaza is at its lowest in months, and the World Food Programme’s food stocks in northern Gaza will run out in two weeks if the situation does not change.
A formal food security assessment in late June found that 96% of Gaza’s population was facing acute food insecurity at crisis level or higher, with nearly half a million people in “catastrophic conditions.”
Fetterman, who has been unequivocal in his support for Israel in the wake of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack that spurred Israel’s invasion of Gaza, rebuked Ocasio-Cortez for portraying the humanitarian situation in Gaza as Israel’s fault.
“The tragedy in Gaza is 100% on Hamas,” Fetterman said in response to news of her initial post. “Stop using civilians and hospitals as shields, surrender, and release all remaining hostages—and this ends.”
Ocasio-Cortez swiped back: “I dunno man. I care about little kids dying. I care about human rights. I care that billions of US tax dollars’ worth of weapons are carrying out unspeakable atrocities. I care enough for us to do better.”
“Hope this bleak dunk attempt gets you whatever it is you’re going for,” she added.
It’s not the first time the two lawmakers have gotten into a public spat.
In May, after Ocasio-Cortez put Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) on blast for attacking another Democrat’s “fake eyelashes,” Fetterman joked that the House of Representatives was less serious than The Jerry Springer Show.
His quip prompted a swift rebuke from Ocasio-Cortez.
“I understand you likely would not have stood up for your colleague and seem to be confused about racism and misogyny being a ‘both sides’ issue,” she said. “But I stand up to bullies, instead of becoming one.”
Fetterman later called Ocasio-Cortez’s implication that he’s a bully to be “absurd.”
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