Photo Credit: (Sebastian Scheiner / Associated Press)

When the majority of American democracy comes together to turn on its elected officials, something is very wrong.

What Do We Stand For?

Israel’s chokehold on America gets tighter with every dollar and piece of pro-Israel legislation the government approves. Our government is funding the Gaza genocide, receiving funds from entities with their own agenda and creating a struggle for Americans against the war. The U.S.’s continued support of Netanyahu’s Israel over the American people is becoming increasingly apparent. Everyone, from the far right movement to protestors at Yale and Columbia can see that now. 

By continuing to support Israel, the U.S. government does not have America’s best interests at heart. Though  many Americans have come together to tackle this treason, elected officials do not care. This historic neglect in favor of other nations has become increasingly apparent and may now be at its boiling point.

Israel Versus America: A Contradictory “Ally”

As the adage goes, “Everyone has a price.” Despite Trump’s campaign promises and all-American facade, he is a pawn in this game as well. This month, the Trump Administration wrote that it would withhold disaster relief from American states taking part in the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement. Any state openly boycotting Israeli products would lose up to 1.9 billion dollars in disaster relief funding.

When this angered people on both sides of the political aisle,  the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) quickly took the statement down, pretending it did not exist. But, the internet is quicker than that, and the proof still exists.

According to the Trump Administration’s own actions, protecting DEI is a farce — unless Israel is involved. Once someone opposes the horrors committed by Israel, they get called “antisemitic” and investigated. Things get ugly when Americans threaten Israel’s funds.

This should worry us. Orders made at the federal level that affect American aid minimize the power of state and individual voices. Moreover, this is more than a mere conflict of interests; it is treason. Instead of protecting the American people during disasters, the Trump Administration has proved it would rather lick the boots of tyrannical Israel, and that is just the beginning. 

Israel’s $12 Billion Allowance 

A large chunk of the Trump Administration’s efforts seem to famously center around reducing spending and bolstering the economy. The administration totes statements on tax cuts for the wealthy and lowering the debt ceiling. But, when one looks closer at American government spending on foreign aid, the goals seem paradoxical.

Since the start of the Gaza genocide in October 2023, Israel has received about 12 billion dollars in U.S. aid, with most of it being given by the Trump Administration. Just this March, Trump sent over an additional four billion dollars. 

To conceptualize how large that number is, if you were to spend 1,000 dollars a day, it would take 2,749 years to spend 1 billion dollars. Now multiply that by 12, and you will get a better picture of how much money the U.S. has given Israel in just the past two years.

With the domestic shrinking of the middle class, Americans are struggling to support themselves, yet tax dollars are being sent overseas.

Public Voices 

Many public figures are actually against the atrocities Israel has committed in Gaza. Celebrities like Bella Hadid and Jenna Ortega have spoken out against it. Zendaya, who has 178 million followers on Instagram, raised 30 million dollars via an Instagram fundraiser.

Another key figure speaking out against the genocide is Theo Von. Despite his 2024 vote for Trump, the podcast host of “This Past Weekend,” has spoken on the topic of Gaza several times. He invited Vice President JD Vance on, where Von asked him questions regarding the nature of Israel’s war tactics, despite Vance’s incessant hedging. Von has since posted several videos discussing his feelings about it. In one TikTok, regarding footage of parents piecing together their deceased children, he said, “We are watching one of the sickest things that’s ever happened… Our country’s been complicit in it and has been for a long time… What are we doing?”

MTG Rise As An Unlikely Heroine

One unpredictable congresswoman is leading the pack in Washington D.C. It has become apparent that Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene changed her stance on Israeli support, despite her reputation as a Republican renegade.

In mid-July, she proposed an amendment that would stop $500 million from going to Israel. Unfortunately, the proposal to cut Israeli missile aid fell flat, with a loss of 422-6 votes. The majority of our leaders voted in favor of Israel. It is important to note that AOC’s name stood out among the voters as pro-Israel. 

But, no good deed goes unpunished, as they say. Now that Greene has started calling the war a “genocide,” many congressmen and women are leaning on her reputation as an unorthodox politician to support their pro-Israel agendas. Senator John Fetterman disrespected her, saying, “I [honestly] don’t care what ‘crazy pants’ thinks.” In response to the pushback, she said, “None of this is antisemitic, and I, along with millions of Americans, refuse that manipulative label.” Weeks later, she is facing backlash again for continuing her crusade against Israel. Despite the condescension and disdain shown by her colleagues, many Republicans and Liberals who “never thought they’d agree” with her commend her courage.

Reframing “Antisemitism”

With the help of U.S. dollars, Israel has bombed churches, hospitals and violated ceasefires. Now that Israel is starving Palestinians and threatening to overtake the entire Gaza Strip, this is more than a war. With the targeting of civilians and plan to wipe Palestinians out of Gaza, the war is now an outright genocide. 

Aside from the obvious implication of the U.S. getting involved in foreign wars — another one of Trump’s broken promises — Americans’ tax dollars are at work, (just in Israeli tanks, soldiers and gun powder instead of working for the people). The bullets and shrapnel in thousands of children’s bodies can attest to this.

Some may argue that giving aid to Israel is advantageous to us, that it is antisemitic to deny aid to Israel or that we must support “our greatest ally.” But, these mindsets foster inexcusable ignorance. At the end of the day, Israel has ended the lives of over 18,000 children and forfeited all imaginable rules of war. It is not antisemitic to oppose this; in fact, Israel’s actions are increasingly similar to those of Nazi Germany — an observation that is now classified as “antisemitic.” Any religion or state that calls for the outright deaths of innocent women and children should be condemned as a terrorist organization.

Donations to Death

According to a poll, Marjorie Taylor Greene was actually right; most Americans oppose sending funds to Israel. Unfortunately, in this situation, the majority doesn’t have the power or money that cabinet members do. The situation we are quickly approaching — on many issues — is the people of America versus the corrupt American government.

Politicians need to think outside the mindsets perpetrated by their political reputations, parties and affiliates. Making the right choice regardless of political party labels would minimize the blood on their hands.

Acknowledgment: The ideas expressed in this article are those of the individual author.