Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) faced criticism from the head of New York City’s Democratic Socialists of America, an organization she has been associated with previously, for comments made after a pro-Palestinian rally in New York City. This rally occurred just a day after a deadly attack on Israel resulted in the death of 1,000 people.
The NYC DSA had promoted the rally, stating their solidarity with the Palestinian people and their right to resist 75 years of occupation and apartheid. However, AOC’s response to the rally was considered troubling by the DSA, as reported by Politico Playbook.
“It should not be hard to shut down hatred and antisemitism where we see it. That is a core tenet of solidarity,” she said.
“The bigotry and callousness expressed in Times Square on Sunday were unacceptable and harmful in this devastating moment. It also did not speak for the thousands of New Yorkers who are capable of rejecting both Hamas’ horrifying attacks against innocent civilians as well as the grave injustices and violence Palestinians face under occupation,” she added.
Nadia Tykulsker, the NYC DSA’s steering committee member, fired back on Monday, telling Politico Playbook that the rally was “at the request of a coalition partner because we believe in equality and justice for all Palestinians and Israelis, and we know that war will take more lives.”
“It is shameful that politicians in our state are exploiting this moment to target a socialist organization and divide the vibrant left in New York — whose sole aim in politics is to grow the power of working people for freedom against exploitation and oppression — instead of focusing our attention where it should be: on the atrocities and tragic loss of life in the region,” she added.
AOC Needs to answer for this
This is a DSA Promoted event
AOC Is a card carrying member of the DSA https://t.co/gDJSIdBdjW
— Tim Pool (@Timcast) October 9, 2023
Ilhan Omar, AOC, Cori Bush, Rashida Tlaib and the entire SQUAD should be expelled from Congress for their hateful rhetoric towards Israel.
— Brigitte Gabriel (@ACTBrigitte) October 8, 2023
Meanwhile, during Tuesday’s press briefing, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre criticized members of the far-left “Squad” for their remarks regarding the conflict between Israel and Hamas. She described their statements as “inaccurate,” “offensive,” and “unacceptable.”
When asked for the administration’s reaction to comments made by Democrat Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, and Cori Bush, Jean-Pierre said: “I’ve seen some of those statements this weekend, and we’re going to continue to be very clear. We believe they’re wrong, we believe they’re repugnant, and we believe they’re disgraceful.”
“Our condemnation belongs squarely with terrorists who have brutally murdered, raped, and kidnapped hundreds, hundreds of Israelis. There can be no equivocation about that. There are not two sides here. There are not two sides,” KJP added.
During the recent conflict between Israel and Hamas, Tlaib and Bush made statements that drew significant criticism for suggesting the U.S. should reconsider its support for Israel.
Tlaib’s statement expressed her sorrow for the loss of lives on both sides, saying, “I mourn the loss of Palestinian and Israeli lives today and every day. As long as our country continues to provide significant, unconditional funding to support the Israeli government, this heartbreaking cycle of violence will persist.”
Bush’s statement emphasized the need to halt the violence and trauma by discontinuing U.S. government assistance to the Israeli military occupation and apartheid, as part of working towards a just and lasting peace.
On the day of the attacks, which resulted in the tragic deaths of numerous Israelis, including women, children, and infants, Ocasio-Cortez and Omar called for a “ceasefire” between Israel and Hamas.
Omar also engaged in a social media discussion on Monday that seemed to draw parallels between Israeli victims killed by Hamas terrorists during the weekend and Palestinians who have lost their lives in the ongoing Israeli response.
“Just as we honor the humanity of the hundreds of innocent Israeli civilians and 9 Americans who were killed this weekend, we must honor the humanity of the innocent Palestinian civilians who have been killed and whose lives are upended,” she wrote on X, going on to highlight the hardships of living in Gaza and accusing Israel of operating an “apartheid” state in an attempt to explain violence by Hamas.
“Palestinian residents of the West Bank have scarcely better lives than Gazans — with the routine destruction of their ancestral homes, destruction of their crops, and violent attacks by Israeli settlers,” Omar wrote.
