Democratic representative Steny Hoyer rebuked certain members of his party for aligning with the views of Hamas, which he accuses of advocating to “kill Jews.”
The Democratic Party has been in disagreement regarding the U.S. response to the Israel-Hamas conflict, which was sparked by a surprise attack by the Palestinian militant group on Israel on October 7, resulting in 1,200 casualties and approximately 240 hostages.
In retaliation, Israel launched extensive airstrikes in Gaza, resulting in over 34,000 Palestinian fatalities, as reported by the Gaza Health Ministry.
The escalating death toll has prompted global calls for a ceasefire and sparked protests at universities across the United States.
During an interview with CNN host Manu Raju on Monday, Hoyer, a former House majority leader, criticized certain members of his party for their stance on the conflict when questioned by Raju about the views of some progressives.
“I regret that there are members who are, in effect, I think, reflecting the views of Hamas, which are to kill Jews and eliminate Israel and when you are talking about “from the river to the sea.” I think it’s very unfortunate,” Hoyer responded.
Hoyer’s statements come in the midst of ongoing calls for a ceasefire by some Democrats, including representatives Jamaal Bowman of New York and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, who have also voiced disapproval of U.S. backing for Israel. Their support for pro-Palestinian demonstrations has drawn criticism in return.
While Hoyer did not specify the party members he was referring to, Tlaib faced backlash on social media from fellow politicians after sharing a video in November featuring the chant “from the river to the sea.”
Following this incident, nearly two dozen Democrats joined Republicans in voting to censure Tlaib in November, with four Republicans dissenting.
President Joe Biden and prominent Democratic figures like House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer have increased their condemnation of pro-Palestinian protests.
Biden has encountered scrutiny for halting the delivery of bombs to Israel and reassessing future military shipments.
Furthermore, the Biden administration stated on Friday that Israel’s utilization of U.S.-supplied arms in Gaza might have breached international humanitarian law.
These conclusions were outlined in a report from the U.S. State Department to Congress, highlighting that, amid wartime circumstances, officials had not identified specific instances indicating Israel had violated the conditions of U.S. weapons agreements.
Tlaib recently discussed with Raju the apparent shift in Biden’s stance.
“It seems that the president’s line keeps changing. Where is your red line? Because I think the mass grave or 13,000 children should have been enough for us to say our country shouldn’t be involved in this kind of genocide,” Tlaib said.
