On a promotional webinar with the New York City chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America on Tuesday, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) boasted of taking the lead role in organizing opposition to supplemental U.S. aid to Israel earlier this year.

The NYC DSA, which has long advanced anti-Israel policies, promoted an anti-Israel rally a day after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel last year, which featured chants expressing support for the attack. Ocasio-Cortez condemned that rally at the time. Despite her frequent and outspoken criticism of Israel and opposition to U.S. aid, Ocasio-Cortez has clashed repeatedly with the DSA and others on the left who’ve said she still hasn’t gone far enough.

The DSA nationally withdrew its endorsement of Ocasio-Cortez in July — in part at the request of the NYC DSA chapter — accusing the New York Democrat of being insufficiently anti-Israel and criticizing her for participating in a webinar on antisemitism. But those differences were nowhere to be seen during Tuesday’s Zoom event.

Ocasio-Cortez said on the DSA call that she had “led a whip operation to organize a record-high number of ‘no’ votes” on supplemental aid to Israel this year, “in order to withhold offensive weaponry on human rights conditions from the Israeli government.” 

The package included offensive weapons but also defensive weapons systems including missile-defense interceptors, as well as humanitarian aid for Palestinians in Gaza.

The New York congresswoman is considering a bid to become the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee — which would constitute a major step up in the Democratic House hierarchy for Ocasio-Cortez as she enters her fourth term on the Hill.

Ocasio-Cortez’s staff has similarly emphasized her central role in marshalling opposition to U.S. aid to Israel, as she fended off criticism from a vocal contingent on the left that said she had not been strong enough in her actions against Israel.

She said that “we must, must, must reintroduce and discuss” trying to block aid again in the future, adding that the humanitarian crisis in Gaza could provide opportunities for the DSA to expand its support and coalition among “people who may not associate themselves ideologically” with the group but are outraged by the humanitarian crisis.

Ocasio-Cortez also repeated her accusations that Israel is committing genocide.

Additionally, the congresswoman said that AIPAC has “extraordinarily large influence in Congress” and accused the group of endorsing “an overwhelming amount of insurrectionists in Congress and Republicans in Congress” and targeting “virtually any member of Congress that seriously challenges their power.” 

She claimed the group had “targeted their threat, quite specifically” at young, progressive lawmakers of color.

AIPAC endorsed and supported more than 100 Democrats, including dozens of progressives and lawmakers of color. Its spending largely targeted lawmakers and candidates who’ve been outspoken critics of Israel.

Ocasio-Cortez has repeatedly faced backlash over comments about AIPAC’s involvement in U.S. politics, including blaming the pro-Israel group, in part, for Democrats’ election losses.

The New York congresswoman also indicated opposition to anti-Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions policies in New York, describing them as a “boycott” of “organizations that have indicated objections to the human rights abuses that are happening in the West Bank or in Gaza” and as “encroachments on free speech.”

She called for advocacy and legislation to reject such proposals and policies.