US House Democrats strip Israel's Iron Dome funding from government funding bill

House Democrats have removed $1billion in funding for Israel's Iron Dome from the US’s spending bill, in a victory for the party’s progressives.

A proposal to send Israel money for its air defense system has been cut out of a stopgap government funding bill, meant to avoid a shutdown after September 30.

It marked the first time military aid to Israel had been held up over objections from members of US Congress.

Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, were reportedly among those who took issue with funds for Israel's defense and threatened to vote against any bill that included it.

While the funding will likely get a vote in a future defense bill, the clash underscored the deep divisions within the Democratic Party over Israel.

Israel’s aerial defense system, known as its “Iron Dome”, intercepts incoming short-range rockets fired from occupied Gaza.

The system has been in place for about a decade, developed with heavy financial and technical backing from the US.

President Joe Biden, who has described himself as a friend of Israel, had pledged earlier this year to replenish Israel’s Iron Dome after Israeli forces used it against rocket attacks by Hamas in May.

Watch: Israel's streets deserted on Yom Kippur

Rep. Josh Gottheimer from New Jersey, a leading centrist in the Democratic Party, expressed frustration that funding was being removed, but stopped short of threatening to vote against the bill.

"The Iron Dome protects innocent civilians in Israel from terrorist attacks and some of my colleagues have now blocked funding it," Mr Gottheimer tweeted. "We must stand by our historic ally - the only democracy in the Middle East."

The decision also earned the wrath of Republicans, who have a long history of supporting and funding the Jewish state.

Rep. Elise Stafanik, who heads the House Republican Conference, labelled Democrats "the party attacking Israel and their inherent right to self-defense."

“Republicans stand strongly with Israel and support [the Iron Dome],” the New York lawmaker wrote on Twitter.

Texas Senator Ted Cruz vowed to filibuster the measure when it got to the Senate, and accused Democratic leaders of surrendering to progressives.

Steny Hoyer, Majority Leader of the US House of Representatives, on Tuesday assured to Yair Lapid, the Israeli Foreign Minister, that the Iron Dome budget delay was "a technical delay" and that the will be transferred "in the near future."