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Cori Bush Releases a Statement About Iran's Attack on Israel

Rebecca Downs
Rebecca Downs  |  April 15, 2024 1:45 PM

This article has been updated to include a post that Bush made from her political account.

As Israel was being attacked by Iran, Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO) posted and then deleted hr anti-Israel, anti-AIPAC post in a matter of hours on Saturday night. Hours after Townhall's coverage highlighting that she did so, and just what was in the video she shared, the Squad member released a statement, though unlike the deleted post, it was from her official account. 

"Congresswoman Bush Statement on Escalation of Violence in Middle East," the vague press release title for the statement read. It got worse from there, as the statement frames the attack from Iran as a retaliatory move and goes for a "both sides" take when it comes to Israelis and Palestinians. 

"I'm encouraged by reporting that President Biden advised Prime Minister Netanyahu last night that the U.S. will oppose any Israeli counter-attacks against Iran, and I urge the President to continue to take immediate steps, including at the UN Security Council and G7, to de-escalate and facilitate an immediate, lasting ceasefire in the region," her statement read in part earlier on.

"Since the horrific October 7 attack, I have repeatedly urged an end to the violence through de-escalation, ceasefire, and diplomacy and cautioned that war is never the answer. Instead, the U.S. government has shamefully and unconditionally armed the Israeli government as it has committed war crimes, killed over 33,000 Palestinians, inflicted famine in Gaza, violated domestic and international laws, and increased the chances of regional war. This failed approach must end," the statement then reads. Bush not only calls out the U.S. government, which has become increasingly anti-Netanyahu, she ignores mention of Hamas, which was the true responsible party for that October 7 attack. 

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Speaking of Hamas, her statement also uses figures of Palestinian deaths that the terrorists have since admitted are not entirely accurate, though they've long been suspected of being used for propaganda purposes.

Bush's statement concludes on an even stronger note. "The people of our country do not want war. They want to live in a world that is safe, peaceful, and just. That is why our pro-peace, pro-humanity movement is stronger than ever, and it’s why, as recently as last week, dozens of my colleagues and I called for our government to stop arming Netanyahu’s maniacal, genocidal acts," it reads. "We are pushing for the safety of all people, from Palestinians and Israelis abroad to Jewish, Arab, Muslim, and other communities who are being targeted here at home, to the release of all hostages and those arbitrarily detained, and ending the risk of a regional war that further entangles the United States and jeopardizes the safety of our people. We cannot let the warmongers win; our country and our world are calling for restraint, de-escalation, a lasting ceasefire, and diplomacy. Our government must listen. That is how we save lives."

Her political account on Monday afternoon, approximately 24 hours later, shared a post about the attack. Another anti-AIPAC post, from last Thursday, also still remains.

As many other Squad members have done, Bush calls out Netanyahu for what she says are his "maniacal, genocidal acts" and claims President Joe Biden "is right to call for an immediate de-escalation."

Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY), another member of the Squad also released a fervently anti-Netanyahu statement from his official account. His came from Monday morning, though he had posted considerably since Saturday afternoon when news of Iran's attack came in.

Not only does Bowman reference October 7 without blaming Hamas in his statement, he's even bolder in his anti-Israel stance. 

"It is clearer than ever that Benjamin Netanyahu’s warmongering is putting the lives of millions of civilians at risk, including the Israeli people. It is why even as I condemned Hamas’ horrific attacks on October 7, I also called for immediate de-escalation and a ceasefire," his statement read in part, actually bragging about how he was in favor of a pro-Hamas narrative from the start. "We cannot condemn violence on one hand and then condone it in the other. The collective punishment leveled against the Palestinian people as well as Israeli military actions in Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and Iraq have created a dangerous powder keg that threatens to become a regional war. Netanyahu is willing to endanger the lives of millions just to draw the US deeper into a conflict whose flame he fans."

Of the Squad members facing primary challengers, Bush and Bowman look to be the most at risk of losing their seats according to recent polls. 

Other Squad members, including Reps. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), who did so on late Sunday afternoon, also shared a statement to her official X account, in which she noted in part. she "will continue to call for de-escalation, restraint, and lasting peace." A post from Rep. Greg Casar's (D-TX) official account on Sunday blamed the attack from Iran on "Netanyahu’s reckless escalations." A statement from Sunday shared to Rep. Delia Ramirez's (D-IL) account equated Iran and Israel while also going after Netanyahu as her fellow Squad members did. 

Rep. Summer Lee (D-PA) fired off many posts on Sunday in which she equated Iran and Israel's actions. On Monday she lamented that the House would focus on legislation to hold Iran accountable "while doing nothing to actually move us closer to peace & security at home or abroad."

Although Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) has posted several times from her political account since then, she's yet to post about Iran's attack. The same goes for Reps. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) and Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI).