Members of the Congressional “Squad” came under fire for calling for a ceasefire in the Middle East after Hamas fighters killed hundreds of Israelis on Saturday in a shocking sneak attack that prompted Israel to launch retaliatory strikes.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and other pro-Palestinian representatives condemned the vicious terrorist attack, but also called for an end to all violence as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that Israel was “at war.”
“Today is devastating for all those seeking lasting peace and respect for human rights,” AOC said in a statement. “I condemn the Hamas attack in the strongest possible terms. No child or family should ever endure this type of violence and fear, and this violence will not solve the current oppression and occupation in the region.
“An immediate ceasefire and de-escalation is urgently needed to save lives.”
Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), in part of her statement, also condemned “the horrific acts…against children, women, the elderly, and unarmed people who are being massacred and taken hostage by Hamas” and called for -climbing.
Rep. Cori Bush (D-Missouri) criticized U.S. foreign policy in her statement on the attacks, insisting that to achieve peace in the region, the United States needs to end its “support for the Israeli military occupation and the apartheid.”
Bush, along with Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), also called for the fighting to stop. And Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) said, “We need a way to end this deadly violence that is killing and traumatizing generations of Israelis and Palestinians alike, including the blockade of Gaza.”
The collection of statements was not well received by conservative commentators.
“Yet another Democrat wants a ‘ceasefire; for victims of a brutal terrorist attack,” Kyle Lamb, a Florida Republican and Ron DeSantis campaign staffer, tweeted in response to Bush’s statement.
“The squad that told Israel to stand down after it was attacked and hundreds of its citizens were massacred. Unbelievable,” the well-known conservative account Comfortably Smug tweeted in response to Pressley’s call for a ceasefire.
A conservative-leaning Townhall writer, John Hasson, criticized Omar’s statement for implying “that attacking/killing IDF forces is okay” because she only mentioned women, children, the elderly and unarmed people in her statement.
In response to AOC’s demand that the fighting stop, prominent conservative activist Ned Ryun responded in a tweet: “How about not?”
Smoke rises over Gaza City on October 7, 2023 during an Israeli airstrike. AFP via Getty Images
Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) does not appear to have issued a statement as of Saturday evening.
Hamas fighters fired rockets into Israeli communities and advanced by land, boat and air Saturday morning as they carried out their shocking attack. At least 250 Israelis have been killed and more than 1,500 wounded in the attacks. Dozens of Israelis have also been taken hostage.
More than 230 Gazans were also killed when Israel responded during retaliatory strikes in the Gaza Strip.
“We will take mighty revenge on this evil day,” Netanyahu promised.
With postal cables
Categories: Trending
Source: vtt.edu.vn