Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a representative from the New York Democratic Party (D-NY), appeared on MSNBC Sunday to discuss Israel’s war with Hamas. She acknowledged that Hamas launched a brutal attack on the 7th of October, which sparked the war. She criticized Israel harsher than many of her peers, accusing it of “war crimes.”
Ocasio-Cortez echoes other Democratic legislators like Rashida Tlaib, (D-MI), and Ilhan Omar, (D-MN). She stated that “Hamas is absolutely responsible for horrific attacks.” and that there are “more details released about what happened on October 7.”
“You would accept a ceasefire, though, would leave Hamas in place?”
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: “In the immediate sense, we have to have a pause” pic.twitter.com/EyuHwjhHQQ
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) October 23, 2023
She continued:
We also know that war crimes are not a response to other war crimes. Hamas takes hostages, and the taking of hostages of children, disabled civilians, or elderly civilians, is a war crime. When we talk about the blocking of water, food, and electricity for a population of 2.2 million Palestinians we are dropping what Human Rights Watch has confirmed and Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and other organizations have confirmed, that the dropping and deployment of white phosphorus is also a crime. It’s unacceptable to believe that the deaths of 1,700 Palestinian children will somehow compensate for or justify what we witnessed on October 7th.
He also called Israel’s airstrikes on Hamas in the Gaza Strip “an indiscriminate campaign of bombing” and highlighted damage done to the region. “We see civilian centers being bombarded. We see churches. “We are witnessing thousands upon thousands being killed by these attacks,” she said.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez chimes in on Israel/Hamas war:
“Hamas has absolutely engaged in horrific attacks…However, we do know as well that war crimes do not constitute and are not an appropriate response for other war crimes.” pic.twitter.com/XDZd1ujxdy
— Jeff Charles, An Awful Pundit🏴 (@jeffcharlesjr) October 23, 2023
It is the same type of obfuscation used by Tlaib, Omar, and others who have been criticized for spreading false stories about a hospital explosion in Gaza City. After it was revealed that another terrorist group had accidentally fired a rocket into the parking lot, the former kept repeating that Israel had bombed the Gaza City hospital. The second has continued to criticize Israel while downplaying that Hamas was the one who started the war.
What’s the deal?
It is absurd to suggest that Israel bears more blame for the conflict than Hamas. Hamas initiated the conflict, launching an attack, killing children and robbing hostages. Hamas, too, has done more to oppress Palestinians in Gaza than Israel. They are constantly put in danger when Hamas attacks Israel and then uses them as human shields during Israel’s counterattack. It also rules Gaza with a heavy hand and regularly violates its residents’ natural rights.
If Ocasio Cortez, her “squad”, and others truly cared about Palestinians’ plight, then the majority of her anger would be directed towards Hamas and other “leaders”, who exploit this tragedy for their own political and economic ends.
