Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY) issued an apology Friday following her speech about Israel’s right to defend itself against Hamas.
Hochul addressed the United Jewish Appeal-Federation at their Lawyers Division Annual Event Thursday and brought up the attack by Hamas on Israel. A clip of her speech was subsequently shared on X.
“Call Hamas for what it is, and it is a terrorist organization that must be stopped. No one should live with that threat, that specter, over them,” Hochul said. “Those who don’t understand this dynamic here in our own state in our own country. I’ll give you an example. I’m from Buffalo, anybody realize that?”
Hochul went on to make a comparison between the United States and Canada, which some online interpreted to be about Israel and Gaza.
“If Canada someday ever attacked Buffalo, I’m sorry, my friends, there would be no Canada the next day,” Hochul said. “That is a natural reaction. You have a right to defend yourself and to make sure that it never happens again. And that is Israel’s right.”
Online viewers of the video accused Hochul of justifying genocide and war crimes. As a result, Hochul issued a clarifying statement and apology to the New York Times for her “poor choice of words” in her “inappropriate analogy.”
“While I have been clear in my support of Israel’s right to self-defense, I have also repeatedly said and continue to believe that Palestinian civilian casualties should be avoided and that more humanitarian aid must go to the people of Gaza,” Hochul said.
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Hochul’s office did not respond to the Washington Examiner’s request for comment.
More than 27,000 Palestinians have died in the conflict with Israel since Oct. 7, per the Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry. That figure does not differentiate between civilian and combatant deaths. Roughly 1,200 Israeli civilians were killed as a result of the invasion and another 130 hostages are still held by Hamas in Gaza.
