Hamas just launched a deadly attack on Israel, one of the deadliest in decades and one that seems to have caught the Israeli military and intelligence services flat-footed, leading to many on the right and left calling for the United States to provide more aid to the embattled country.
Not all in the American political class did so, however, with many on the right arguing that the US needs to stop cutting checks to other countries for the defense of their borders while ours lies undefended and our national debt rages out of control. The criticism that came from the left was generally more pointed, with some of it even smearing Israel as being an “apartheid” state.
Such is what Democrat Congresswoman and “Squad” member Rashida Tlaib said in a statement released over the weekend, after the attack began, saying that she grieves for those killed in the battles but that she still thinks there needs to be a “dismantling of the apartheid system,” by which she presumably meant how Israel handles the Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.
She wrote, “I grieve the Palestinian and Israeli lives lost yesterday, today, and every day. I am determined as ever to fight for a just future where everyone can live in peace, without fear and with true freedom, equal rights, and human dignity.”
Continuing, she went on to add, “The path to that future must include lifting the blockade, ending the occupation, and dismantling the apartheid system that creates the suffocating, dehumanizing conditions that can lead to resistance.”
Similarly, “Squad” member Cori Bush said she grieves for those lost but also thinks America needs to stand against Israeli “apartheid.” She wrote: “I am heartbroken by the ongoing violence in Palestine and Israel, and I mourn the over 250 Israeli and 230 Palestinian lives that have been lost today, and the thousands injured following attacks by Hamas militants on Israeli border towns and Israeli military bombardment of Gaza. I strongly condemn the targeting of civilians and I urge an immediate ceasefire and de-escalation to prevent further loss of life. Our immediate focus must be saving lives, but our ultimate focus must be on a just and lasting peace that ensures safety for everyone in the region. Violations of human rights do not justify more violations of human rights, and a military response will only exacerbate the suffering of Palestinians and Israelis alike. As part of achieving a just and lasting peace, we must do our part to stop this violence and trauma by ending U.S. government support for Israeli military occupation and apartheid. I am continuing to closely monitor the situation and my Office is ready to support residents of the First District with family members and loved ones in the region.”
Their comments led to harsh criticism from fellow Democrat Rep. Ritchie Torres, who told Jewish Insider reporter Marc Rod, “U.S. aid to Israel is and should be unconditional, and never more so than in this moment of critical need. Congress must act decisively to provide Israel with whatever it needs to defend itself in the face of unprecedented terrorism.” Rep. Torres added, “Shame on anyone who glorifies as “resistance” the largest single-day mass murder of Jews since the Holocaust. It is reprehensible and repulsive.”
.@RepRitchie responds to comments from Reps. Bush and Tlaib on the situation in Israel. "Shame on anyone who glorifies as “resistance” the largest single-day mass murder of Jews since the Holocaust. It is reprehensible and repulsive."
Full statement: pic.twitter.com/KP0L1eAnNU— Marc Rod (@marcrod97) October 8, 2023
Rep. Ilhan Omar, for her part, took a different stance on the issue than her fellow “Squad” members, writing, “I condemn the horrific acts we are seeing unfold today in Israel against children, women, the elderly, and the unarmed people who are being slaughtered and taken hostage by Hamas. Such senseless violence will only repeat the back and forth cycle we’ve seen, which we cannot allow to continue. We need to call for deescalation and ceasefire. I will keep advocating for peace and justice throughout the Middle East.”
Featured image credit: By VOA – https://www.voanews.com/a/palestinian-american-congressional-candidate-source-of-west-bank-pride/4519493.html, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=75701495
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