Rep. Ocasio-Cortez says Americans should not ‘toss someone out of our public discourse’ for accusing Israel of genocide

Summer Concepcion
Sun, January 28, 2024 

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., on Sunday argued that Americans should not “toss someone out of our public discourse” for accusing Israel of genocide in its war against Hamas.

During an interview on “Meet the Press,” Ocasio-Cortez argued that “large amounts of Americans” feel the term “genocide” applies to Israel’s actions in the Middle East.

“Whether you are an individual that believes this is a genocide — which by the way, in our polling we are seeing large amounts of Americans concerned specifically with that word. So I don’t think that it is something to completely toss someone out of our public discourse for using,” she said.

The New York Democrat added that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government “has lost public support.”

Ocasio-Cortez was also asked to respond to her colleagues accusing President Joe Biden of supporting genocide, including fellow progressive Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich.

“Do you agree with that word, ‘genocide,’ that the president’s been supporting a genocide, or does that go too far?” moderator Kristen Welker asked.

“I think what we are seeing right now throughout the country is that young people are appalled at the violence and the indiscriminate loss of life,” she said.

Ocasio-Cortez also noted that the International Court of Justice ordered Israel to take all measures within its authority to prevent genocidal acts against Palestinians in Gaza.

“The fact that they said there’s a responsibility to prevent it, the fact that this word is even in play, the fact that this word is even in our discourse, I think demonstrates the mass inhumanity that Gazans are facing,” she said.

Ocasio-Cortez and other progressives have faced backlash for comparing Israeli treatment of Palestinians to Apartheid South Africa while expressing their support for Palestinians. The members of the progressive “Squad” of House members have been accused of being too soft on Palestinian militants.

Ocasio-Cortez, a vocal supporter of a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war, has condemned the militant group, saying, “I condemn Hamas’ attack in the strongest possible terms” in October after clashes broke out at a pro-Palestinian rally held and promoted by some of her allies.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com

AOC raising money by using pro-Israel group's attack on her 'Squad' ally

Elizabeth Elkind

FOX NEWS
Sun, January 28, 2024 

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., is raising money by using political attacks against a top pro-Israel lobbying group in Washington.

In an email sent to supporters Thursday evening, Ocasio-Cortez sounded off about the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) endorsing challenger George Latimer against Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., a fellow member of the leftist House group known as the "Squad."

"When right-wing megadonors attack one of us, they’re trying to silence our whole movement. And in this moment, standing strongly beside leaders calling for peace and humanity has never been more important," Ocasio-Cortez’s email says.

"My friend Jamaal Bowman just officially announced his campaign for re-election. Help us show that we have the people power to beat his AIPAC-backed opponent by splitting a grassroots donation between our campaigns."

House Oversight and Accountability Committee member Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez speaks to reporters while joined by fellow House Democrats in the Rayburn House Office Building Dec. 13, 2023, in Washington, D.C.

AIPAC works with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle and is known for helping facilitate bipartisan trips to Israel, including a trip in August led by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y.


That group has recently clashed with hardliners in the Democratic Party who have been critical of Israel’s response to the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, as well as the Biden administration’s support for Israel.

"Jamaal’s opponent is an establishment, career politician — who yesterday was officially endorsed by AIPAC. The path to victory won’t be easy. AIPAC will launch millions of dollars of nasty attack ads," Ocasio-Cortez’s email states.

EDUCATORS URGE LARGEST TEACHERS UNION IN US TO RESCIND SUPPORT FOR BIDEN UNTIL 'PERMANENT CEASE-FIRE' IN GAZA

Rep. Jamaal Bowman and other members of the "Squad" hold a press conference with rabbis in front of the U.S. Capitol to call for a cease-fire and end to the Israeli attacks on Gaza in Washington D.C., Nov. 13, 2023.

"This is about justice. This is about community. This is about what we want the Democratic Party — and our democracy — to look like."

When asked for comment about Ocasio-Cortez's ad, an AIPAC spokesperson told Fox News Digital, "We proudly have endorsed George Latimer, who is aligned with President Biden’s pro-Israel stand, in clear contrast to his opponent in this race. An extremist anti-Israel fringe will not deter us from engaging in the democratic process to help elect candidates who support the Jewish state in its fight against Hamas barbarism."



Chuck Schumer and the U.S. delegation also met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Westchester County executive George Latimer became the first non-incumbent AIPAC has endorsed this 2024 cycle. The group gave a statement to Jewish Insider on Thursday, saying, "We are proud to endorse George Latimer who — in clear contrast to his opponent — is strongly committed to strengthening the U.S.-Israel relationship and standing by our ally as it fights Hamas terrorism."

Ocasio-Cortez called AIPAC an "extremist organization" last November after the group criticized her and the nine other House lawmakers who voted against a resolution affirming support for Israel’s response to Hamas.

"AIPAC endorsed scores of Jan 6th insurrectionists. They are no friend to American democracy. They are one of the more racist and bigoted PACs in Congress as well, who disproportionately target members of color," Ocasio-Cortez said on X at the time. "They are an extremist organization that destabilizes US democracy."

AOC and Pelosi clash over ‘genocide Joe’ label flung at Biden by Gaza protesters

John Bowden
Sun, January 28, 2024

Two champions of different wings of the Democratic Party offered dueling takes on the increasingly vocal protests against Joe Biden over the US’s role in funding Israel’s military assault against the Gaza Strip during interviews on Sunday.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a leader of the party’s progressive wing, appeared on Meet the Press where she hesitated to embrace the label of “genocide” being applied to the sustained carnage caused by Israel’s invasion of Gaza; the congresswoman did, however, defend those in her party (including fellow “Squad” member Rashida Tlaib) who have used the term and accused the US government of being complicit.

The International Court of Justice is currently hearing arguments brought by the South African government in favour of declaring the Israeli campaign a “genocide” — an initial ruling by the Court this past week demanded that Israel work to prevent one from occurring while the determination is made. The Israeli government has strongly opposed accusations of committing a genocide or ethnic cleansing against Palestinians, but a growing list of Israeli government officials have been heard in public using rhetoric which undermine those denials.

Kristin Welker, NBC’s moderator, noted to Ms Ocasio-Cortez during their interview that some activists on her party’s progressive left flank have started using the derisive moniker “Genocide Joe” for the US president. Welker then asked Ms Ocasio-Cortez if the descriptor of “genocide” went too far:

“Some of your colleagues have accused the president of supporting genocide, including Rashida Tlaib. Do you agree with that word, ‘genocide,’ that the president's been supporting a genocide, or does that go too far?”

”Young people are appalled at the violence and the indiscriminate loss of life,” the congresswoman responded. “We are not just seeing twenty-five thousand people that have died in Gaza. We are seeing the starvation of millions of people, the displacement of over 2 million Gazans.”

As the two noted that the ICJ has yet to make a formal determination, the congresswoman from New York continued: “In the interim ruling, the fact that they said there's a responsibility to prevent it, the fact that this word is even in play, the fact that this word is even in our discourse, I think demonstrates the mass inhumanity that Gazans are facing.”

Though the ICJ’s process of determining whether a genocide is being committed by Israel in Gaza remains ongoing, it is notably not the standard that the US government, under Joe Biden, has used when deciding whether military action or other conflicts cross that line.

The president himself described Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as a “genocide” in an April 2022 interview; the ICJ has yet to make a determination on that case either, though it has demanded that Russia cease military action in Ukraine. The civilian death toll since in Ukraine is reported to be less than half of the death toll in the Gaza Strip dating back to just October of last year; Israeli officials and international monitoring organisations strongly disagree over the number of Hamas militants killed, with Israel claiming as many as 9,000 have died.

Ms Ocasio-Cortez’s words came as a startling new poll from YouGov and The Economist reported that half of respondents who said they voted for Mr Biden in 2020 thought that the Israeli government was committing a genocide in the Gaza Strip. Similar numbers thought that the conflict was likely to broaden across the Middle East.

Meanwhile, a representative of the Democratic Party’s old guard (in both age and political thinking) appeared on CNN to discuss the same issue. Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi was interviewed by Dana Bash and argued (without any evidence to support her view) that some of the recent demonstrations against Mr Biden were “connected to Russia”. The dismissal did not go over well with her detractors on the Democratic Party’s left wing.

Mr Biden himself is the subject of a lawsuit brought by civil rights groups and Palestinian-Americans arguing that the president has violated both US and international law by allowing US military aid to support a country accused of committing genocide. Initial arguments began in the case this past week.

A White House spokesman, John Kirby, did not comment on the suit itself but told reporters on Tuesday that “nothing’s changed about the president’s strong view that we’ve got to continue to make sure Israel has what it needs to defend itself”.