Representative Tom Cole of Oklahoma has become a faithful ally of Israel, having received a staggering $322,875 from AIPAC in exchange for his continued support of pro-Israel and anti-Palestinian legislation. Cole’s enthusiastic backing of Israel’s military actions has directly contributed to the ongoing genocide in Gaza, where The Lancet projects 180,000 Gazans will die as a result of Israel’s brutal campaign. Despite the mounting death toll and destruction, Cole proudly voted to send $14.3 billion in U.S. taxpayer dollars to fund Israel’s military under the guise of defense, through the Israel Security Appropriations Act.
Cole justifies his actions by touting the supposed need for defense systems like the Iron Dome while ignoring the fact that the Israeli military has used these funds to indiscriminately bomb civilian areas in Gaza, including schools, hospitals, and residential buildings. On his government website, Cole doubled down on his support for the funding, claiming, “This critical security supplemental to Israel not only replenishes American defense stockpiles but enhances Iron Dome and other Israeli defense systems...I stand firmly with Israel and its right to defend itself in full force against terror.”
The depth of Cole’s complicity is further underscored by his unwavering support for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a leader found guilty of numerous war crimes by the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Following Netanyahu's address to Congress in July 2024, Cole applauded the war criminal, stating, “We must continue to stand like a rock with Israel to ensure that the Israelis have the essential resources to defend itself and eradicate the barbaric terrorist organization Hamas from this earth for good.” Such statements reveal Cole’s disregard for Palestinian lives and his deep entanglement with AIPAC’s agenda, as he facilitates the funding of atrocities against an oppressed population.
Related Links
Counting the dead in Gaza: difficult but essential, The Lancet, July 2024
Gaza infrastructure damages estimated at $18.5bn in UN-World Bank report, Al Jazeera News, April 2024
Congressman Cole Proudly Supports Critical Aid to Israel, Tom Cole Gov., November 2023
Cole Attends Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s, Tom Cole’s Gov., July 2024
