Actress Alyssa Milano faces criticism after tweet targeting Israel

Milano is criticized after singling out Israel for receiving US aid in Congress's new coronavirus aid package.

By GADI ZAIG
Actor Alyssa Milano makes remarks as Attorney Michael Avenatti listens, at a protest outside the White House in Washington, July 17, 2018 (photo credit: MARY F. CALVERT / REUTERS)
Actor Alyssa Milano makes remarks as Attorney Michael Avenatti listens, at a protest outside the White House in Washington, July 17, 2018
(photo credit: MARY F. CALVERT / REUTERS)
American actress Alyssa Milano faced criticism after making a controversial tweet regarding Israel receiving aid from the US's 2021 spending bill, on Monday, the Algemeiner reported.
US Congress on Monday approved a $892 billion coronavirus aid package as apart of its 2021 spending bill, which includes $3.8b. in aid to Israel. Of that $3.3b. was designated to security assistance and $500 million for US-Israel missile defense cooperation.
In reaction, Milano wrote a Twitter post saying, “Between 30 and 40 million families are at risk of eviction, but Congress can only afford $600 per person. I’m sure the $500 MILLION in arms and military aid to Israel and the $2 BILLION for Air Force missiles will help keep them warm when they are on the streets.”
The US's decision to send aid to Israel was actually part of a broader $1.4 trillion agreement to fund the government through the rest of the fiscal year, not the COVID-19 relief bill.
The agreement includes foreign assistance to a number of countries as part of the 2021 Defense Department budget, including $700 million to Sudan, $453 million to the Ukraine, and $1.3 billion to Egypt — almost three times the amount headed to Israel.
Milano closed replies to her tweet, which meant that only Twitter users whom she followed or were mentioned could reply. However, that didn't stop many on social media from criticizing the actress on their own personal accounts.
One reaction came from Jewish actress and “Will & Grace” star Debra Messing. To Milano's tweet, Messing replied on Twitter with the reaction,"WTF?"

Other reactions to Milano's tweet included accusations of antisemitism and bigotry. Milano has since removed her original tweet and apologized for her comments. However, she later posted a string of tweets expanding on her view of the budget and Congress's decision.
In the eighth tweet of the sequence, she wrote, "Don’t you think that when millions of Americans are at risk of losing their homes, when tens of thousands of American businesses are disappearing, when people can’t afford to eat that maybe Israel and Egypt could tend to their own militaries?"

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