Multiple New York Democrats condemned a Palestine solidarity rally that took place in the city on Sunday.
Hundreds gathered in Times Square a day after Hamas launched “Operation Al-Aqsa Flood,” an attack that has reportedly killed over 700 Israelis. The offensive came after years of increasing raids in the West Bank that have killed hundreds of Palestinians. In response to the offensive, Israel launched “Operation Iron Swords”, bombings that have killed over 500 Palestinians so far. “Citizens of Israel, we are at war,” declared Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “The enemy will pay an unprecedented price.”
“The people of Israel are facing violent terrorist attacks and civilian kidnappings,” tweeted New York Governor Kathy Hochul. “I condemn plans to rally in Times Square tomorrow in support of the perpetrators of these horrific actions. The planned rally is abhorrent and morally repugnant.”
New York’s 18th District Rep. Pat Ryan (D-NY) called the action an “absolute disgrace” and said it was antisemitic because New York City has a large Jewish population. “These actions are an insult to the memories of the innocent men, women, and children brutally murdered,” wrote Ryan. “Our ONLY focus should be mourning those we lost and supporting Israel’s ongoing defense against terrorism.”
“I can’t think of anything more ill-timed and cold-hearted than today’s demonstration in Times Square,” said New York Senator Chuck Schumer.
Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said he, “strongly and unequivocally condemns the hate-filled rally held by the DSA” and any support for the “barbaric, inhumane and despicable terrorist attack by Hamas on the State of Israel and its citizens.”
“The bond between the United States and Israel will always be unbreakable,’’ he said.
In an appearance on CBS’s Face the Nation NYC Mayor Eric Adams implied that attendees were “celebrating” the Israeli deaths and said the NYPD would be monitoring the situation. “New York City rejects this,” he said in a statement. “Do not use our streets to spread your hate.”
“This post appears intended to chill lawful, constitutionally protected protest,” tweeted the Center for Constitutional Rights in response to Adams. “Accusing supporters of Palestinian human rights of support for terrorism is dangerous, tired, and ignores 75 years of Israeli colonization and war crimes. Palestinians and solidarity activists know their rights, and they will continue to protest.”
Rep. Ritchie Torres, the Democrat who represents the state’s 15 district, singled out New York City’s Democratic Socialists of America’s (DSA) chapter for supporting the event. “The NYC-DSA is planning to hold a rally tomorrow, glorifying the terrorism of Hamas as ‘resistance.’,” he tweeted. “Never mind the hundreds of Israeli civilians and children who have been murdered, wounded, abducted, and terrorized. Their lives mean nothing to the DSA. Nothing. The NYC-DSA is revealing itself for what it truly is: an antisemitic stain on the soul of America’s largest city. There is a special place in hell for those who glorify the cold-blooded murder of civilians and children.”
New York Democrats Chairman Jay Jacobs said that the socialist organization “sought to justify the wonton [ sic ] violence, terrorism, kidnapping, and murder that was perpetrated on Israel this weekend.”
“[DSA] supports rape, murder, kidnapping, torture, rocket attacks,” tweeted the lobbying group Democratic Majority for Israel (DMFI), “Sad how sick these folks are.”
The rape claim has made the rounds on social media, but as journalist Alex Kane points out, it comes from a single unnamed source who spoke with Tablet. In 2018 DMFI board member Archie Gottesman tweeted, “Gaza is full of monsters. Time to burn the whole place.”
Hamas has committed horrific crimes against Israeli’s. Israeli’s (military/terrorist/ illegal settlers) have committed horrific crimes against Palestinians over and over again.
“An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind”
Too bad Senator Schumer and others in power did not, do not condemn the human rights crimes committed against Palestinian’s. Too bad these same power brokers have not condemned the ongoing expansion of illegal settlements, the violent actions of illegal Israeli settlers, the persistent theft of Palestinian homes and land, the persistent Israeli human rights violations committed against Palestinians…these are the crimes/issues that have perpetrated this madness, violence being committed by Hamas. All should be held accountable.
Way overdue for Israeli’s and Palestinians who have committed human rights crimes to be put on trial at the Hague.
U.S. leaders including Biden have allowed the unjust situation for Palestinians to grow and fester. Shameful
https://www.amnesty.org/en/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/mde150212009eng.pdf
https://ifamericansknew.org/
Don’t Harm Women, Children: Qassam Fighters Say from Inside Israeli Home – VIDEO
https://www.palestinechronicle.com/dont-harm-women-children-qassam-fighters-say-from-inside-israeli-home-video/
I wonder if the New York Democrats are ignorant or just plain racist? Did they not know that the Palestinians have been languishing under an Israeli police regime, basically an outdoor prison for many, many years? You can just look at American prisons to get an idea of the loss of personal freedom and the loss of basic dignity that prison life entails. Even the most well guarded prisons sooner or later have full out riots as a sign of the straw that broke the camel’s back. So it is with the Gaza strip and the current violence. Israel is the cause of its own problems with the Palestinians. The only reason it has been able to keep them in prison is because the US helps them to! America is always complicit in the worst crimes of others!