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Longtime Dem congressman doubles down on attacking Israel after losing runoff in new Texas district

“It is time for Israel to finance its own wars,” stated Rep. Al Green, a 21-year Texas Democratic congressman.

Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) delivers remarks at a dinner banquet with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen and Taiwanese expatriates in Houston, Texas, Aug. 18, 2018. Credit: Taiwanese Presidential Office via Creative Commons.
Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) delivers remarks at a dinner banquet with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen and Taiwanese expatriates in Houston, Texas, Aug. 18, 2018. Credit: Taiwanese Presidential Office via Creative Commons.

Rep. Al Green (D-Texas), who has served in Congress for 21 years, doubled down on his criticism of the Jewish state on Thursday after he lost soundly, 30.6% to 69%, to Rep. Christian Menefee (D-Texas) in the Democratic Party runoff for the state’s newly formed 18th Congressional District in Houston. He pointed to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee as one of the reasons for that defeat.

“Afraid to come out during the election, AIPAC has finally reared its ugly head,” the 78-year-old stated on Thursday, after losing the race. “I am not anti-Israel. I am anti-sending any more hardworking Americans’ tax dollars to Israel.”

He subsequently took aim at the Jewish state more broadly.

“On behalf of tens of millions of hardworking Americans facing an affordability crisis and who are in need of the billions of hard-earned tax dollars we send to Israel annually, it is time for Israel to finance its own wars,” he said.

AIPAC previously called him “one of the most outspoken anti-Israel voices in Congress.”

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