Far-left Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) took President Biden to task for his statement about the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, in which Biden said Israel has the right to defend itself in the face of ongoing Hamas rocket attacks.
Reuters reported that Israeli troops had gathered at the Gaza border while “Palestinian militants pounded Israel with rockets” Thursday, thus far resulting in 67 dead in Gaza and another seven in Israel since the violence started.
Some of the casualties, according to Fox News, include women and children on both sides.
It took some time for Biden to issue a statement in support of America’s ally in Israel.
“My expectation and hope is that this will be closing down sooner than later,” Biden told reporters after speaking with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, “but Israel has a right to defend itself when you have thousands of rockets flying into your territory.”
AOC was less-than-pleased with Biden’s statement.
JUST IN – Biden: “Israel has a right to defend itself when you have thousands of rockets flying into your territory.”pic.twitter.com/ot5YFBSynS
— Disclose.tv ? (@disclosetv) May 12, 2021
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AOC Hammers Biden Over Defense of Israel
AOC responded to President Biden’s statement by claiming Israel instigated the violence.
“Blanket statements like these [with] little context or acknowledgment of what precipitated this cycle of violence – namely, the expulsions of Palestinians and attacks on Al Aqsa – dehumanize Palestinians [and] imply the US will look the other way at human rights violations,” she tweeted.
“It’s wrong.”
At issue are pending evictions of dozens of Palestinians from their homes in East Jerusalem and police raids by Israel at the Al-Aqsa mosque that resulted in hundreds of injuries.
Hamas has used this as an excuse for vowing to turn Israel into “a hell” and launching rocket attacks from suspected terrorist strongholds against numerous Israeli cities.
“By only stepping in to name Hamas’ actions – which are condemnable – [and] refusing to acknowledge the rights of Palestinians, Biden reinforces the false idea that Palestinians instigated this cycle of violence,” Ocasio-Cortez continued.
“This is not neutral language. It takes a side – the side of occupation.”
By only stepping in to name Hamas’ actions – which are condemnable – & refusing to acknowledge the rights of Palestinians, Biden reinforces the false idea that Palestinians instigated this cycle of violence.
This is not neutral language. It takes a side – the side of occupation.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) May 12, 2021
The White House did, however, acknowledge the evictions.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki on Wednesday said plans to evict dozens of Palestinians from an east Jerusalem neighborhood work “against” mutual interests and condemned “extremism that has inflicted violence on both communities.”
Trump issues a statement supporting Israel. pic.twitter.com/QLXk9FFuFO
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) May 11, 2021
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Worse Than Jimmy Carter
Aside from AOC’s comments, fellow Squad member Representative Ilhan Omar (D-MN) earlier this week accused the deputy mayor of Jerusalem of supporting “ethnic cleansing” in his defense of the evictions.
“This deputy mayor is describing ethnic cleansing here, yet everyone (in) the West is pretending that’s not what’s happening to Palestinians,” she tweeted.
A State Department spokesman said Omar’s allegations are “not something that our analysis supports.”
This deputy mayor is describing ethnic cleansing here, yet everyone is the West is pretending that’s not what’s happening to Palestinians.
It’s reprehensible. https://t.co/XUTdeLvf9m
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) May 9, 2021
Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) responded the Squad members, referring to them as the “Jihad Squad.”
“The Jihad Squad … doesn’t think Israel has the right to defend itself from terrorists Hamas when they fire rockets into Israel,” she wrote.
Greene added, “Members who support terrorism don’t belong in Congress.”
The Jihad Squad@IlhanMN @RashidaTlaib @AOC
doesn’t think Israel has the right to defend itself from terrorists Hamas when they fire rockets into Israel.They also support terrorists Antifa/BLM who attack Americans.
Members who support terrorism don’t belong in Congress.
— Marjorie Taylor Greene ?? (@mtgreenee) May 10, 2021
Former President Donald Trump issued a statement Wednesday saying comparisons of Biden to the failed presidency of Jimmy Carter are unfounded – because the current administration is far worse.
“I see that everybody is comparing Joe Biden to Jimmy Carter. It would seem to me that is very unfair to Jimmy Carter,” he stated. “Jimmy mishandled crisis after crisis, but Biden has CREATED crisis after crisis.”
Trump mentioned several ongoing crises in the first few months of Biden’s first term – including the humanitarian crisis at the border, cyberattacks resulting in fuel shortages, and now Israel – saying he “has had the worst start of any president in United States history.”
“Someday,” Trump added, “they will compare future disasters to the Biden Administration.”
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