AOC Accuses Israel Of ‘Genocide’
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) said this week that Israel’s ongoing operations in the Gaza Strip now qualify as “genocide.” Her comments came as Israeli forces cleared a hospital used by hundreds of Hamas fighters and planned an attack on Hamas’ last stronghold of Rafah.
The representative told CNN host Jake Tapper that she stood by her words on the House floor calling the current situation in Gaza an “unfolding genocide.”
She decried what she called a “forced famine of 1.1 million Gazans. Multiple governments, NGOs and even officials within the United States State Department have stated themselves plainly that the Israeli government and leaders in the Israeli government are intentionally denying blocking and slow-walking this aid in and are precipitating a mass famine I believe we have crossed the threshold of intent. It is horrific.”
From CNN’s “State of the Union” this am — interview with Rep. Ocasio Cortez (D-NY):
TAPPER: So I asked Israeli officials about your speech.
And they say, we are allowing hundreds of aid trucks into Gaza every single day. They're trying to increase those numbers. They have to…— Josh Kraushaar (@JoshKraushaar) March 24, 2024
Israel continued its campaign to eliminate Hamas from Gaza last week. This included an extensive operation at al-Shifa Hospital, which Hamas was using as a base.
During the raid, Israel eliminated Hamas’ number-three operative, Marwan Issa. Issa was involved in planning the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack that killed 1,200 people.
Furthermore, Israel has killed or captured about 1,000 Hamas fighters within the hospital.
Israel is also preparing its attack on the last Hamas stronghold of Rafah, despite pressure from the Biden administration. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the decision to enter into the city had already been made, despite Biden previously stating that such an attack would be a “red line.”
Ocasio-Cortez’s comments also come amid higher pressure on the Biden administration regarding the conflict in the Middle East. A number of Arab American and Muslim American leaders have withheld their support from Biden, including supporting writing in ‘uncommitted’ on Democratic Party presidential primary ballots rather than supporting the president.
Should Biden lose considerable support among Arab and Muslim Americans, there could be a significant shift in the 2024 election. Muslim and Arab Americans make up a small but electorally significant minority in states such as Michigan and Minnesota, which could decide the Electoral College.
