Moments after Hamas launched the deadliest assault on Jewish civilians since the Holocaust this weekend, the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) defended the killing spree.
“DSA is steadfast in expressing our solidarity with Palestine,” the party wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Saturday. “Today’s events are a direct result of Israel’s apartheid regime — a regime that receives billions in funding from the United States. End the violence. End the Occupation. Free Palestine.”
“We unequivocally condemn the killing of all civilians. It is imperative for international human rights law to be respected,” the DSA added. “But we cannot forget that the Israeli state has systematically denied Palestinians the right to self-determination for decades. … As socialists, we must act.”
Just one out of the six Democrats affiliated with the DSA responded to The Federalist’s repeated inquiries to condemn the statement. Rep. Shri Thanedar, D-Mich., ripped the statement as having nothing to do with socialism.
“This is classic antisemitic rhetoric. What the DSA missed here is that this is a terrorist attack, the biggest murdering of Jewish people since the Holocaust,” Thanedar told The Federalist in an interview. “I am not very proud of the DSA at this time as a member of that organization.”
“For the DSA to be supportive of a terrorist organization and such a barbaric terrorist attack is just unbelievable, and I want no part of that,” Thanedar added. “That’s not progressive. That’s not socialism. That’s just totally irresponsible hatred against Jews and towards the state of Israel.
On Saturday, Iranian-backed Palestinian militants with the Hamas terror group launched a surprise attack killing at least 1,000 Israeli civilians and troops so far. At least 260 of them were killed when Hamas gunmen paraglided into a music festival and began to shoot down attendees.
At least 150 people were taken to the Gaza Strip as hostages and remain in captivity. At least 14 Americans were killed in the attack, and nearly two dozen are still missing, according to the White House on Tuesday.
Pro-Palestinian protests under the banner of the DSA, featuring a swastika and a desecrated Israeli flag, erupted in New York City in response to the Middle East carnage.
Palestinian #Nazi progeny appear on the streets of New York City today, as the swastika is flashed at a pro-#Palestinian murder rally.https://t.co/t9pxVnXNWU pic.twitter.com/rg1PoAkOSf
— Anne Bayefsky (@AnneBayefsky) October 8, 2023
“Almost all of the local elected officials linked to the Democratic Socialists of America refused Monday to condemn the group’s hate-filled pro-Palestinian rally in Manhattan,” the New York Post reported.
Democrat Reps. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Cori Bush of Missouri, Jamaal Bowman of New York, and Greg Casar of Texas, all members of the DSA, each dismissed The Federalist’s inquiries over the group’s weekend statement. Several members released statements of their own regarding the violence, some of which called for a ceasefire after Israeli innocents were murdered but before Israel could retaliate or even secure cities that had been overtaken by Hamas.
“Today is devastating for all those seeking a lasting peace and respect for human rights in Israel and Palestine. I condemn Hamas’ attack in the strongest possible terms. No child and family should ever endure this kind of violence and fear, and this violence will not solve the ongoing oppression and occupation in the region,” Ocasio-Cortez said Monday. “An immediate ceasefire and de-escalation is urgently needed to save lives.”
In another statement late Monday, Ocasio-Cortez condemned the DSA rally in Times Square.
“The bigotry and callousness expressed in Times Square on Sunday were unacceptable and harmful in this devastating moment,” she said. “It also did not speak for the thousands of New Yorkers who are capable of rejecting both Hamas’ horrifying attacks against innocent civilians as well as the grave injustices and violence Palestinians face under occupation.”
Bowman also released a statement on the conflict Tuesday.
“Hamas targeted defenseless and innocent civilians and killed the largest number of Jewish people outside of the Holocaust in one day,” Bowman said. “Their actions are unequivocally abhorrent and must be strongly and clearly condemned. I am shocked and disgusted by the rally held here in NY this weekend celebrating death or attacks on civilians and showing swastikas. I condemn any demonstration that does this in the strongest possible terms. We must proceed on the basis of recognizing our shared humanity.”
Tlaib released a statement on Sunday, furthering the false narrative that Hamas’ unprovoked terror attack is just part of a cycle of violence.
“I grieve the Palestinian and Israeli lives lost yesterday, today, and every day. I am determined as ever to fight for a just future where everyone can live in peace, without fear and with true freedom, equal rights, and human dignity,” the Michigan congresswoman said. “The path to that future must include lifting the blockade, ending the occupation, and dismantling the apartheid system that creates the suffocating, dehumanizing conditions that can lead to resistance.”
Bush also released a statement targeting Israel.
“I am heartbroken by the ongoing violence in Palestine and Israel, and I mourn the over 250 Israeli and 230 Palestinian lives that have been lost today, and the thousands injured, following attacks by Hamas militants on Israeli border towns and Israeli military bombardment of Gaza,” Bush said. “I strongly condemn the targeting of civilians and I urge an immediate ceasefire and de-escalation to prevent further loss of life.”
Casar similarly called for de-escalation before Israel even had the chance to defend itself.
“I unequivocally condemn the killings & kidnappings by Hamas, & I mourn the deaths of innocent Israeli & Palestinian civilians,” Casar wrote on X. “We must de-escalate this before the cycle of violence worsens further – and work toward everlasting peace without terrorist attacks, occupation, & war.”
