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Jamaal Bowman Suggests Israel Responsible for Hamas’ Oct. 7 Attack in Latest Salvo Against Jewish State
US Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) speaks during the National Action Network National Convention in New York City, US, April 7, 2022. Photo: REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz
US Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY), a prominent progressive in Congress and outspoken critic of Israel, suggested in a new interview that the Jewish state is responsible for the Hamas terrorist group’s Oct. 7 attacks, which resulted in the biggest single-day massacre of Jews since the Holocaust.
Bowman on Monday chatted with left-wing political pundit Olayemi Olurin about his views on the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. The congressman stated that Israel’s alleged oppressive treatment of Palestinians might have spurred Hamas, which rules Gaza, to lash out.
The New York Democrat said that he declined the opportunity to sign a so-called “AIPAC-written” resolution that backed Israel, stating that he “stopped reading” the document when it referred to Oct. 7 as an “unprovoked attack.”
On Oct. 7, Hamas-led Palestinian terrorists invaded southern Israel from Gaza. During the onslaught, they murdered 1,200 people and kidnapped over 250 hostages. In the months since then, mounting evidence has revealed that the terrorists perpetrated systematic sexual violence, including mass gang rape and torture, against the Israeli people.
In the weeks after the onslaught, Bowman publicly cast doubt on reports that Israeli women were raped and called such accusations “propaganda.” He walked both those comments earlier this year, however, after receiving widespread scrutiny and condemned Hamas’ actions on Oct. 7.
During Monday’s interview, Bowman asserted that to end the “extremism” of Hamas, there needs to be a “free Palestine.”
“Well, if we’re calling this an unprovoked attack, that means we’re going to ignore 18 human rights organizations calling Israel an apartheid state, and we’re going to ignore 75 years of military occupation, which is illegal, or 700,000 settlers expanding into the West Bank, which is also illegal,” Bowman said. He did note mention that Israel fully withdrew all its soldiers and civilian population from Gaza in 2005.
Bowman claimed that the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), the foremost pro-Israel lobbying organization in the US, penned an October 2023 resolution in the US House that expressed support for Israel and condemned Hamas’ atrocities less than three weeks after the attack. He was one of nine Democrats to vote against the measure.
“Now, I am not justifying the killing of civilians on Oct. 7 — there’s no justification. It’s just an explanation of what the circumstances were that led to Oct. 7,” Bowman said.
The lawmaker argued that US support for the Jewish state is rooted in “white supremacy,” “white nationalism,” and the desire to legitimize “settler-colonialism.” He also dismissed the notion that international support of Israel is necessary to combat antisemitism. Comparing Israel unfavorably to the United States and Canada, Bowman claimed that the Jewish state is a “white country” that is “siphoning resources” from “black and brown” people.
Roughly 45 percent of Israeli Jews are Mizrahi — Jews who trace their ethnic origins to the Middle East and North Africa. Meanwhile, 21 percent of Israel’s population identifies as Arab. Conversely, Arab and Muslim countries in the region expelled roughly 900,000 Jews between 1920-1970.
Nonetheless, Bowman then praised anti-Israel demonstrators for “taking the baton” from slavery abolitionists and civil rights protesters. Notably, pro-Palestinian demonstrations have expressed support for the Houthis, a terrorist group that has reinstituted slavery in Yemen. Anti-Israel activists have also commended Iran, which backs Hamas and maintains minimal civil rights for women and homosexuals.
Bowman added that black Americans should join the pro-Palestinian movement, claiming that dismantling Israel will strike a blow to “white supremacy” and benefit marginalized groups around the world.
“Fighting for Palestinian lives and rights is a fight against white supremacy and the ideology of white supremacy, so it is a collective fight,” he said, urging minority groups not to adopt a “crabs-in-a-barrel” mentality.
Bowman has sharpened his rhetoric against Israel in recent weeks as he seeks to shore up support from left-wing groups in New York City. On Monday, Bowman pledged to back the controversial boycott, divestment, sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel, in an attempt to win an endorsement and funding from the Democratic Socialists of America, a prominent leftist organization. The group nearly expelled Bowman in 2021 after he took a trip to Israel and voted to fund the Iron Dome — an air defense system that intercepts missiles and has proven critical in the Jewish state’s fight against terrorist groups.
Bowman faces a stiff challenge from his opponent in the Democratic primary for New York’s 16th Congressional District. George Latimer, the current county executive of Westchester County, holds a commanding lead over Bowman, according to a poll by the Mellman Group. Fifty-two percent of respondents support Latimer compared to 35 percent who claim they will vote for Bowman, the poll found.
United Democracy Project, a super PAC affiliated with AIPAC, has reportedly spent millions of dollars on the race in an effort to unseat Bowman.
The post Jamaal Bowman Suggests Israel Responsible for Hamas’ Oct. 7 Attack in Latest Salvo Against Jewish State first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Dozens of Terrorists Eliminated in Central Gaza, Weapons Seized from UN School in Raid
Some rises after an Israeli strike as Israeli forces launch a ground and air operation in the eastern part of Rafah, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, May 7, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Hatem Khaled
i24 News – Israel Defense Forces continue to operate in the Shejaiya area at the same time as fighting in the Rafah area and in the center of the Gaza Strip, the army said.
In the Shejaiya area, forces of the 98th Division attacked dozens of terrorist sites with the help of airstrikes from the Israel Air Force.
Over the weekend, Israeli soldiers raided a UN school in Shejaiya, where terrorists hid and stored weapons, grenades and valuable intelligence documents
This is yet another example of how Gazan terrorists use civilian structures to carry out attacks against Israeli forces pic.twitter.com/9oA9KLJehC
— i24NEWS English (@i24NEWS_EN) June 30, 2024
A UN school was raided where terrorists hid and stored weapons, grenades, and sensitive documents. In addition, a Hamas command center was discovered in a clinic.
Since Saturday, division forces located weapons, raided and captured terrorist compounds, and eliminated a number of terrorists.
IDF strikes Hamas target in Gaza
Israeli forces continue to operate in the Shejaiya area while continuing to push in Rafah and in central Gaza
The IDF attacked and destroyed a mortar launch position located within a tunnel shaft in Rafah pic.twitter.com/JqTACvuMys
— i24NEWS English (@i24NEWS_EN) June 30, 2024
The 162nd Division meanwhile continues in the Rafah area, eliminating a number of terrorists in various encounters and destroying tunnel shafts in the area.
The 99th Division 99 the center of the Gaza Strip carried out raids and destroyed terrorist infrastructure in the area.
Also on Saturday, an airstrikes destroyed a mortar launch position located inside a tunnel shaft in Rafah.
The post Dozens of Terrorists Eliminated in Central Gaza, Weapons Seized from UN School in Raid first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Israeli Government Approves Danny Danon as UN Ambassador
Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon at a briefing on Iranian aggression on May 6, 2020. Photo: Screenshot.
i24 News – The Israeli government unanimously agreed on Sunday to appoint Likud lawmaker Danny Danon as Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, succeeding the current ambassador, Gilad Erdan.
Danon, who previously held this position, will soon serve a second term. Danon’s appointment to this important position comes at a particularly crucial time, as he is expected to represent Israel on the international stage as the country faces challenges at home and abroad.
“I am proud to return to serve the State of Israel as Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations during this critical period,” he said on Twitter.
“As Israel faces battles on numerous fronts, each and every one of us must do his utmost within his skills and experiences,” he said in an earlier statement. “This is how I have behaved in the past, and this is how I will continue to behave in the future.”
I am proud to return to serve the State of Israel as Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations during this critical period.
With Israel confronting challenges on multiple fronts, it is imperative for each of us to contribute to the best of our abilities and experiences. This…
— Danny Danon דני דנון (@dannydanon) June 30, 2024
“In the face of the diplomatic terrorism that is rearing its head these days, I am forced to present the truth and hold my head high for the people of Israel and our common future here,” he concluded.
It is expected that Avihai Boaron, a former member of the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, will enter in place of Danon.
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‘Los Angeles Is Becoming Unsafe for Its Jewish Residents” Says Israeli Minister
Governor Newsom speaking at the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles. Photo Credit: Office of Governor Gavin Newsom.
i24 News – Amichai Shikli, Israel’s Minister of Diaspora and Antisemitism, has urgently called upon California’s governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles’s mayor Karen Bass to address a concerning escalation of antisemitic incidents in the city.
In a strongly worded letter sent following a surge in antisemitic activities since October 7, 2023, Shikli expressed deep apprehension about the safety of Jewish residents in Los Angeles.
“Los Angeles is becoming more and more unsafe for its Jewish residents,” Shikli stated, emphasizing the urgent need for proactive measures to combat the rising tide of antisemitism.
He highlighted recent violent demonstrations on campuses that endangered Jewish students, alongside two serious incidents that he believes were mishandled by authorities.
One incident he pointed to was the tragic murder of Paul Kessler in November 2023 during a pro-Israel demonstration. Shikli criticized the court’s failure to classify the attack as a hate crime, stating, “It is shocking to see that the court did not recognize this as a hate crime. Paul was attacked for the sole reason that he was a Jew and a Zionist.”
Additionally, Shikli referenced an incident earlier in the week where an anti-Israel group disrupted an event at Adat Torah synagogue, resulting in an attack on Jewish attendees. Despite prior knowledge of the demonstration, law enforcement allegedly failed to take preventive actions to ensure the safety of Jewish residents.
Concerned about the city’s largest Jewish community in North America, Shikli urged immediate steps to enhance security around Jewish institutions and to ensure law enforcement is adequately trained to handle antisemitic crimes effectively. “At a time when antisemitism is at an all-time high, I urge you to implement measures to combat it,” he asserted.
The minister concluded his letter by proposing collaboration with local authorities and inviting the Los Angeles Police Department to participate in an international training program aimed at equipping security forces worldwide to combat antisemitism effectively.
The post ‘Los Angeles Is Becoming Unsafe for Its Jewish Residents” Says Israeli Minister first appeared on Algemeiner.com.