Progressive Lawmakers Under Fire From Fellow Democrats for Response to Hamas Attack

Reps. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) and Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) were among those who made statements critical of Israel in the aftermath of the Hamas terror attack.

Rockets are fired toward Israel from the Gaza Strip on Oct. 11, 2023. Fatima Shbair/AP Photo

Condemnation has poured in over a number of Democrats for statements they have made in the days since Hamas terrorists invaded and attacked Israel from Gaza on Oct. 7.

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said in an Oct. 11 statement that the Hamas attack on a music festival in Israel near the Gaza border on Oct. 7 “is an image the world will not soon forget,” but in the same statement, he said that “the targeting of civilians is a war crime, no matter who does it. Israel’s blanket denial of food, water, and other necessities to Gaza is a serious violation of international law and will do nothing but harm innocent civilians.”

The Republican Jewish Coalition condemned Mr. Sanders.

“Imagine demanding American restraint on 9-12-2001. Israel has the absolute right to defend itself and its citizens,” the group posted on X. “@BernieSanders is a disgrace.”

Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) in an Oct. 8 statement lamented the loss of lives on both the Israeli and Palestinian side, but put the blame on Israel.

“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,” she said.

“The path to that future must include lifting the [Gaza] blockade, ending the occupation, and dismantling the apartheid system that creates the suffocating, dehumanizing conditions that can lead to resistance,” she continued. “As long as our country provides billions in unconditional funding to support the apartheid government, this heartbreaking cycle of violence will continue.”

In Israel, Arab Israelis have the same rights as Jewish and Christian Israelis. Palestinians are under the Palestinian Authority, a separate entity, and Gaza is controlled by Hamas.

Other Statements

Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) said in an Oct. 9 statement that the solution to the conflict is a negotiated peace, with Israelis and Palestinians enjoying equal rights and security guarantees.

“Instead of continuing unconditional weapons sales and military aid to Israel, I urge the United States at long last to use its diplomatic might to push for peace,” she said.

Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.) called for ending U.S. assistance to Israel, which totals $3.8 billion annually. Of that, $3.3 billion is military aid.

“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,” Ms. Bush said in a statement on Oct. 7.

Numerous Democrats and Jewish organizations condemned the anti-Israel sentiments from the progressive lawmakers.

The American Jewish Congress criticized Ms. Tlaib and Ms. Bush for calling for an end to U.S. assistance to Israel.

“It is with profound concern and indignation that we at the American Jewish Congress condemn the statements made by Reps. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) and Cori Bush (D-MO), who have callously chosen this moment, in the middle of a war with Hamas and in the aftermath of its heinous terrorist attack, to call for the cessation of U.S. aid to our democratic ally, Israel,” said the organization’s leadership in an Oct. 9 statement.

“Such rhetoric dismisses the weight of the tragedy suffered by innocent Israeli civilians,” it continued.

Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) also criticized Ms. Tlaib and Ms. Bush.

“U.S. aid to Israel is and should be unconditional, and never more so than in this moment of critical need,” he told the online publication Jewish Insider on Oct. 8. “Shame on anyone who glorifies as ’resistance' the largest single-day mass murder of Jews since the Holocaust. It is reprehensible and repulsive.”

White House Responds

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre called anti-Israel statements by Democrats “disgraceful.”

“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 are repugnant and we believe they’re disgraceful,” said Ms. Jean-Pierre during the Oct. 10 White House press briefing.

The Democratic Socialists of America have expressed support for the anti-Israel side.

“DSA is steadfast in expressing our solidarity with Palestine,” the group posted in a statement online. “Today’s events are a direct result of Israel’s apartheid regime—a regime that receives billions in funding from the United States. End the violence. End the Occupation. Free Palestine.”

“We unequivocally condemn the killing of all civilians,” the statement continued. “It is imperative for international human rights law to be respected. But we cannot forget that the Israeli state has systematically denied Palestinians the right to self-determination for decades.”

Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-Mich.) announced on Oct. 11 he is ending his membership in the DSA.

“After the brutal terrorist attacks on Israel, which included the indiscriminate murder, rape, and kidnapping of innocent men, women, and children, I can no longer associate with an organization unwilling to call out terrorism in all its forms,” he said in a statement posted on X.

Mr. Thanedar cited an anti-Israel rally on Oct. 8 promoted by the DSA as a reason for renouncing his membership in the far-left group.

As of press time, the death toll from the ongoing conflict is 2,500 people, including 25 U.S. citizens.