Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York accused Israel of “ethnic cleansing” as it strikes back against Hamas after last weekend’s brutal terrorist attacks.
“The United States’ responsibility is to human rights. That means supporting the safety of the Israeli people and preventing the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians,” she said in a Thursday post on X.
In an accompanying video, she said, “Our responsibility is to the stability and the security of the region. That means being able to support — support, yes — Israel in its defensive capacities.”
“But it also means that the United States has a responsibility to ensure accountability to human rights to prevent the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians and to ensure that horrors do not happen in the names of victims who do not want their tragedy used to justify further violence and injustice.”
The United States’ responsibility is to human rights. That means supporting the safety of the Israeli people and preventing the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians. pic.twitter.com/7CsuN6uO3w
— Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@RepAOC) October 12, 2023
On Wednesday, Ocasio-Cortez twice used the term “ethnic cleansing” to snipe at Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina after Graham called the conflict in the Middle East a “religious war” and urged Israel to do whatever it takes to fight back against Hamas.
“This is textbook rhetoric of ethnic cleansing that cannot be accepted in any civil society, let alone the United States,” Ocasio-Cortez posted in response.
“It is an affront to humanity to weaponize this horrific trauma to justify the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians. It is dangerous and must stop.”
This is textbook rhetoric of ethnic cleansing that cannot be accepted in any civil society, let alone the United States.
It is an affront to humanity to weaponize this horrific trauma to justify the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians.
It is dangerous and must stop. https://t.co/Ln4DuGsSA8
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) October 12, 2023
On Thursday, Ocasio-Cortez also tossed blame at Christians for the violence in the Middle East.
“It’s not just Islamic, it’s not just Jewish; it is also Christian,” she said in a radio interview, according to Insider.
“In the United States of America, Christian fundamentalism and nationalism — which has also been extremely anti-Semitic — has also aligned itself with some of the most right-wing and authoritarian and inflammatory powers in the region.”
“It’s not a coincidence that when [Donald] Trump was in power, he moved the embassy to Jerusalem,” Ocasio-Cortez added. “There is a ton of fundamentalist literature around revelations in the Bible that leads people to project — incorrectly, by the way.”
The congresswoman — along with other members of the far-left “squad” in the House — has been criticized for her response to the Hamas attack.
In a Saturday statement, she condemned the invasion but urged Israel not to retaliate, calling for an “immediate ceasefire and de-escalation.”
