As fires smoldered and warning sirens wailed in the streets of Jerusalem while rockets continued to rain down on the capital city, members of The Squad took to Twitter Monday to condemn Israel while remaining conveniently mum about the attacks launched by Hamas and other terrorists.
As Katie reported, Hamas "launched dozens of rockets into Jerusalem Monday to mark Jerusalem Day" while "Islamic Jihad, which also operates in the Gaza Strip, launched an anti-tank missile into Israel from the south."
Congresswoman Ilhan Omar (D-MN) called Israel's counterstrikes that successfully took out Hamas terrorists "an act of terrorism" and called for Israel's defense of its citizens to be condemned.
Israeli air strikes killing civilians in Gaza is an act of terrorism.
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) May 10, 2021
Palestinians deserve protection.
Unlike Israel, missile defense programs, such as Iron Dome, don’t exist to protect Palestinian civilians.
It’s unconscionable to not condemn these attacks on the week of Eid. https://t.co/vWWQfMqBkT
Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) took President Biden to task asking "Where's the outrage?" before claiming "American taxpayer money is being used to commit human rights violations" and calling for Congress to "condition the aid we send to Israel, and end it altogether if those conditions are not followed."
I was 7 years old when I first prayed at the Al Aqsa with my sity. It's a sacred site for Muslims. This is equivalent to attacking the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for Christians, or the Temple Mount for Jews.
— Rashida Tlaib (@RashidaTlaib) May 10, 2021
Israel attacks it during Ramadan. Where's the outrage @POTUS? https://t.co/Q4gGBrCOof
American taxpayer money is being used to commit human rights violations. Congress must condition the aid we send to Israel, and end it altogether if those conditions are not followed. Statements aren't working @SecBlinken.
— Rashida Tlaib (@RashidaTlaib) May 10, 2021
Enough is enough.
Rep. Tlaib later joined the Mehdi Hasan Show to make an intersectional equivalence between "Palestinians fighting apartheid" and her "Black neighbor fighting police brutality."
"What were really telling Palestinians fighting apartheid is the same thing being told to my Black neighbor fighting police brutality: There is no form of acceptable resistance to state violence, it seems, except the denial of humanity and dignity. Give Up" @RashidaTlaib pic.twitter.com/NZu9qN0gI0
— People for Bernie (@People4Bernie) May 10, 2021
Never one to be left out, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) also chimed in saying "We stand in solidarity" with Palestinians, while accusing Israel of "inflicting violence" before calling for the United States to "show leadership in safeguarding the human rights of Palestinians" while remaining silent about the Hamas-fired rockets that were launched into Israel.
We stand in solidarity with the Palestinian residents of Sheikh Jarrah in East Jerusalem. Israeli forces are forcing families from their homes during Ramadan and inflicting violence.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) May 8, 2021
It is inhumane and the US must show leadership in safeguarding the human rights of Palestinians.
Rep. Ocasio-Cortez also jumped on the intersectional bandwagon by comparing the clash in Jerusalem with the Biden administration's border crisis and "militarization of US police departments," calling for America to "seriously assess its role in state violence."
From the paramilitary violence in Colombia and Shiekh Jarrah, to the detention of children on our own border and the militarization of US police departments, the United States must seriously assess its role in state violence and condition aid.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) May 8, 2021
Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley made a similar accusation, saying the United States "should not finance state violence."
American government $$ should not finance state violence.
— Ayanna Pressley (@AyannaPressley) May 11, 2021
In Boston.
In Bogotá.
In Chelsea.
In Jerusalem.
In Randolph.
Anywhere.
During Monday afternoon's State Department press briefing, spokesman Ned Price said that "the United States will remain fully engaged to promote calm in Jerusalem," noting "we welcome the steps the Israeli Government has taken in recent days aimed at avoiding provocations, including the decision to avoid confrontations during the Jerusalem Day Commemoration and the delay in the decision regarding the Sheikh Jarrah evictions."
This explanation was not adequate for Rep. Omar, apparently, who slammed the comments as "devoid of empathy and concern for human suffering."
Rep. Tlaib also piled on, asking whether Price was "really refusing to condemn the killing of Palestinian children?"
This unsurprising response is devoid of empathy and concern for human suffering.
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) May 10, 2021
He can’t even condemn the killing of children. https://t.co/eQjysy2VCP
While The Squad tweets and makes television appearances from safety, Israel begins another day under threat from what the IDF notes is now more than 10 hours of "non-stop" rocket attacks.
Since 6PM, terrorist groups in Gaza have been firing rockets at Israeli civilians.
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) May 11, 2021
Non-stop.
The time is now 4AM.
That's 10 hours of rocket attacks.
INTERCEPTED:
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) May 10, 2021
Terrorists recently fired another barrage of rockets from Gaza toward the Israeli city of Ashkelon.
We intercepted the rockets with the Iron Dome Aerial Defense System, and are now striking Hamas terror targets. pic.twitter.com/5i87BRAgDn
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