WASHINGTON — Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Democrat of New York and the highest-profile progressive in the House, apologized on Friday to her constituents for an abrupt decision to pull back her vote against providing $1 billion in new funding for Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system, suggesting she said had done so after being subjected to “hateful targeting” for opposing it.
Ms. Ocasio-Cortez, a member of the liberal group known as the Squad, was one of two members who voted “present” as the measure to help Israel replace missile interceptors overwhelmingly passed the House on Thursday on a vote of 420 to 9. She was seen weeping on the House floor after she switched her vote from “no” to “present.”
The episode captured the bitter divide among Democrats over Israel, which has pit a small but vocal group of progressives who have called for an end to conditions-free aid to the country against the vast majority of the party, which maintains that the United States must not waver in its backing for Israel’s right to defend itself.
In a lengthy letter on Friday, Ms. Ocasio-Cortez told her constituents that she opposed the funding, citing “persistent human rights abuses against the Palestinian people,” and had pleaded with top Democrats to delay the vote.
“The reckless decision by House leadership to rush this controversial vote within a matter of hours and without true consideration created a tinderbox of vitriol, disingenuous framing, deeply racist accusations and depictions,” Ms. Ocasio-Cortez wrote.
Ms. Ocasio-Cortez received a lot of criticisms on social media after the vote. These were from Israel supporters who attacked her for not supporting the funding and progressives and pro-Palestinian activist who expressed outrage at the fact that she did not object to it.
“To those I have disappointed — I am deeply sorry,” she wrote to residents of New York’s 14th Congressional District, which includes parts of the Bronx and Queens. “To those who believe this reasoning is insufficient or cowardice — I understand.”
At issue was the House’s effort to provide additional funding for Israel’s Iron Dome system, which was used during heavy fighting between Israel and Hamas in May. The debate on the House floor grew bitter Thursday as some progressive Democrats who were opposed called Israel an “apartheid state,” an accusation that at least one proponent of the bill called antisemitic.
Ultimately, only eight Democrats — as well as one Republican, Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky — opposed the measure.
“Yes, I wept,” Ms. OcasioCortez informed her constituents on Friday. “I wept at the complete lack of care for the human beings that are impacted by these decisions, I wept at an institution choosing a path of maximum volatility and minimum consideration for its own political convenience.”
This dispute began after progressives rebelled against the inclusion in an emergency spending bill of Iron Dome funding. They threatened to shut down the government instead of supporting the money. The Iron Dome money was approved by a separate vote, after which the bill passed the House.
Some progressive lawmakers became furious at Representative Steny H.Hoyer of Maryland, the No. 2 Democrat, who pushed to have the Iron Dome funding approved quickly. His move appeared to have been intended to calm Israeli officials that had been watching with concern the matter.
Yair Lapid, Israel’s foreign minister, called Mr. Hoyer and emphasized the need for the House to approve the request as soon as possible, according to an account of the call released by Mr. Lapid’s office. Mr. Hoyer assured him that the decision to drop it from the government spending measure had been no more than a “technical delay,” the account said. The House announced hours later that it would hold a separate vote on the funding approval later in the week.
Ms. Ocasio-Cortez stated that she had personally asked Mr. Hoyer for a delay in the vote. Ms. Ocasio-Cortez did not respond immediately to a request for comment.
“Even the night before, as it became clear that the discourse around this issue was quickly devolving from substance to hateful targeting, I personally had a call with the House majority leader to request a 24-hour stay of the vote, so that we could do the work necessary to bring down the temperature and volatility, explain our positions and engage our communities,” She wrote. “That request was summarily dismissed.”