After accusing Russia of meddling in the 2016 US elections, Freshman Congressman Alexandria Ocasio Cortez (Dem-NY) did precisely that but to Great Britain when she tweeted out a call for British voters to support Labour and Jeremy Corbyn. The tweet featured a video that slammed the Conservative policies being advocated by the party head, Boris Johnson.
“The hoarding of wealth by the few is coming at the cost of peoples’ lives,” AOC wrote. “The only way we change is with a massive surge of *new* voters at the polls. UK, Vote!”
This video is about the UK, but it might as well have been produced about the United States.
The hoarding of wealth by the few is coming at the cost of peoples’ lives.
The only way we change is with a massive surge of new voters at the polls. UK, Vote!pic.twitter.com/N5JYaVGCBs
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) December 12, 2019
It was unclear how campaigning for Corbyn served her constituents in New York but it seemed to boost her popularity as it garnered over 18,000 retweets and 57,000 likes. It also increased her popularity with Corbyn, as noted in his response.
As @AOC says, our system is broken and it’s time for real change. #ElectionDay2019 https://t.co/4b8PNLBluj
— Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) December 12, 2019
British conservative commentator Nile Gardiner tweeted a warning to American voters.
.@AOC backs far Left Marxist Jeremy Corbyn who hates America and Israel and has advanced an antiSemitic agenda in the Labour Party. This says a lot about the liberal left in the US today. https://t.co/1jIzGPEDOb
— Nile Gardiner (@NileGardiner) December 12, 2019
Corbyn and AOC developed a close relationship. In February, soon after she took office, the two spoke for 45 minutes on the phone about taxes, migration, President Donald Trump, and public services. Corbyn was clearly taken with his young admirer from across the ocean, as seen in a tweet he posted.
Great to speak to @AOC on the phone this evening and hear first hand how she’s challenging the status quo.
Let’s build a movement across borders to take on the billionaires, polluters and migrant baiters, and support a happier, freer and cleaner planet.
— Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) February 3, 2019
The admiration was mutual.
It was an honor to share such a lovely and wide-reaching conversation with you, @jeremycorbyn!
Also honored to share a great hope in the peace, prosperity, + justice that everyday people can create when we uplift one another across class, race, + identity both at home & abroad. https://t.co/7qnz42I8du
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) February 3, 2019
The Labour Party suffered a crushing defeat in last week’s elections leading to calls for Corbyn to resign. The final results showed 43.6% of the vote to the Conservative party led by Boris Johnson, giving them 364 seats in the Parliament. Labour, led by Jeremy Corbyn, got 32.25% of the vote, giving them 203 seats.
Part of the blame for the defeat was placed on accusations of rampant anti-Semitism in the party. Corbyn was also accused of making anti-Semitic comments and supporting terrorist organizations. Corbyn stated in public several times that if elected, he would immediately recognize a Palestinian State inside the borders of Israel. He has also been accused of having relations with terrorist organizations and during a meeting in parliament in 2009, Corbyn referred to Hamas and Hezbollah his “friends.”
The Simon Weisenthal Center (SWC), a Jewish human rights organization, announced on Saturday that Corby’ns Labour party was the year’s worst global anti-Semitic incident. The SWC listing was significant as it placed Corbyn above John Earnest, a white supremacist gunman accused of opening fire inside the Poway synagogue in California in April, killing one.
Ironically, AOC’s endorsement of the British anti-Semitic candidate comes less than one week after she accused Donald Trump of anti-Semitism for a speech in which he addressed the Israeli American Council. In the speech, the president noted the many pro-Israel policies his administration has advanced. He also noted that the Democratic candidates are adopting policies that will universally raise taxes. AOC suggested that by appealing to the Jewish crowd’s monetary interests, the president was pushing an anti-Semitic trope of the money-loving Jew.
In addition to being a member of the Democratic Party, AOC is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America. She is a critic of Israel, referring to the IDF’s use of live-fire against Gazans attempting to infiltrate into Israel as “a massacre.” She also referred to Jews living in Judea and Samaria as an “occupation”.She supports the creation of a Palestinian state inside Israel and has opposed legislation that would counter the Boycott Divestment Sanctions movement that calls for the destruction of Israel.