One would think that after learning that Hamas terrorists had launched surprise attacks on Israeli civilians, there would be a universal understanding that Israel should exercise its right to defend itself.
But almost immediately, there were calls from the “Squad” of Democratic Socialists in Congress for an “immediate de-escalation and ceasefire” — barely before Israel even had a chance to assess and respond to what happened.
“We need an immediate ceasefire and de-escalation,” wrote Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) in a tweet. “It is long past time to stop this cycle of violence and trauma, and work toward a just and lasting peace in the region.”
While condemning “the horrific acts” against Israelis, Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) tweeted that “Such senseless violence will only repeat the back-and-forth cycle we’ve seen, which we cannot allow to continue.”
“We need to call for de-escalation and ceasefire,” she went on to say.
“Today is devastating for all those seeking a lasting peace and respect for human rights in Israel and Palestine,” Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) said in a statement. “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.”
“An immediate ceasefire and de-escalation is urgently needed to save lives,” she concluded.
“The failure to recognize the violent reality of living under siege, occupation, and apartheid makes no one safer,” Palestinian-American Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) wrote. “No person, no child anywhere should have to suffer or live in fear of violence.”
All these statements had one theme: It was Israel’s fault that they were attacked — and they shouldn’t respond in kind to Hamas’ brutality, which reportedly included Hamas terrorists raping women and parading them naked through the streets, as well as slaughtering entire families in their homes and beheading infants.
It has been nearly three weeks since the initial Hamas attack on Israel, and the Squad’s ceasefire calls continue, now in the form of a resolution introduced by Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.), who was an activist in the anti-Israel “Black Lives Matter” movement before getting elected to Congress in 2020.
“You must not let yourself turn a blind eye to the mass murder of Palestinians, even as we strongly condemn Hamas for its appalling attack against Israelis last weekend,” Bush said in her announcement introducing the resolution.
The resolution stated in part that “between October 7 and October 16, 2023, armed violence has claimed the lives of over 2,700 Palestinians and over 1,400 Israelis, including Americans, and wounded thousands more.”
What was left out was how the war started, because it would have meant acknowledging that the Hamas government is who instigated the fighting by targeting defenseless Israeli citizens.
Last I checked, the purpose of a country defending itself in war was to make it so that its enemy was decimated to the point it would never again entertain the thought of invading the other country.
Israel takes great care to try and protect civilian lives, but that’s made harder by the fact that Hamas is known for deliberately hiding in hospitals, apartment buildings, and other places inhabited by civilians, effectively using their own people as human shields.
If the Squad truly desired peace, they would have condemned Hamas in the strongest possible terms and told them the best way to avoid further civilian loss of life was to pull back and surrender.
Instead, they’ve repeatedly blamed the victim and told them not to fight back, which has led to questions, namely, just who do they really want to win? Israel or Hamas terrorists, the latter of whom have been funded by Iran?
I think the answer is clear, but I’ll leave it to readers to ponder.
North Carolina native Stacey Matthews has also written under the pseudonym Sister Toldjah and is a media analyst and regular contributor to RedState and Legal Insurrection.