(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) The self-proclaimed democratic socialists who form the core of the “Squad” have united to condemn Hamas’s Saturday terrorist attacks against Israel.
The horrifying footage of gruesome killings and kidnappings perpetrated by Hamas on Saturday morning prompted Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., and Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., to denounce these actions as acts of terror. However, their condemnations come amid a backdrop of disturbing statements about Israel in the past and vocal opposition to critical funding for Israel’s defense against Hamas.
Rep. AOC was first to express her condemnation. “I condemn Hamas’ attack in the strongest possible terms,” she claimed in a press statement on Sunday. “No child and family should ever endure this kind of violence and fear, and this violence will not solve the ongoing oppression and occupation in the region.”
This statement stands in stark contrast to AOC’s actions in 2021 when she was one of only two lawmakers to vote “present” on a bill funding Israel’s Iron Dome Aerial Defense System, a crucial defense mechanism against Hamas’s offensive missiles.
Her emotional response at the time, which brought her to tears, was followed by an apology to her constituents, citing “persistent human rights abuses against the Palestinian people.”
Two years later, Hamas launched a brutal onslaught against Israeli women, with some victims subjected to horrifying acts and killings.
Rep. Omar took to Twitter to condemn the attack as well. “I condemn the horrific acts we are seeing unfold today in Israel against children, women, the elderly, and the unarmed people who are being slaughtered and taken hostage by Hamas,” Omar stated.
Omar’s current condemnation contrasts with her 2021 comparison of Israel to the tactics employed by Hamas. She had claimed, “We have seen unthinkable atrocities committed by the U.S., Hamas, Israel, Afghanistan, and the Taliban,” effectively equating Israel with the Taliban and Hamas.
We must have the same level of accountability and justice for all victims of crimes against humanity.
We have seen unthinkable atrocities committed by the U.S., Hamas, Israel, Afghanistan, and the Taliban.
I asked @SecBlinken where people are supposed to go for justice. pic.twitter.com/tUtxW5cIow
— Rep. Ilhan Omar (@Ilhan) June 7, 2021
Her radical remark faced backlash from members of her own party, but Omar doubled down instead. “We must have the same level of accountability and justice for all victims of crimes against humanity,” she wrote in response.
Rep. Tlaib issued a statement expressing her grief over the lives lost on both sides. “I grieve the Palestinian and Israeli lives lost yesterday, today, and every day,” she asserted. “The failure to recognize the violent reality of living under siege, occupation, and apartheid makes no one safer. No person, no child anywhere should have to suffer or live in fear of violence,” she added without specifying the group responsible for the violence.
Tlaib’s statement comes in contrast to her emotional press conference in May 2021, where she criticized the U.S. for its support of Israel, claiming a lack of empathy for Palestinians. “There has been no recognition of the attack on Palestinian families being ripped from their homes right now. No mention of children being detained or murdered,” she asserted.
The current conflict has already claimed the lives of more than 600 Israelis and at least 370 Palestinians as Hamas continues its assaults on Israel.
