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US Rep. Jamaal Bowman Pens Op-ed Slamming Netanyahu as ‘Genocidal War Criminal’ in Latest Anti-Israel Invective
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) decried Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a “genocidal war criminal” ahead of Netanyahu’s address to a joint session of the US Congress on Wednesday, arguing that American politicians should shun the leader of the Jewish state.
Bowman, one of the most prominent anti-Israel voices in Congress, penned an op-ed for The Guardian, explaining his “outrage” over Netanyahu’s visit to Washington, DC. Bowman, pointing to the casualty count in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, accused the Israeli premier of being a “genocidal fascist.”
“We are at a pivotal moment in our democracy and our society where we have to ask ourselves: how do we want to be represented on the global stage?” bowman wrote. “What do we stand for as a nation if we are inviting an accused war criminal to address a joint session of Congress as he inflicts collective punishment on hundreds of thousands of Palestinian civilians, mostly women and children? Platforming a war criminal should not be our answer.”
Bowman continued, lambasting the Israeli military for allegedly executing a “bombing campaign” in Gaza that has killed many Palestinians and left civilians “afraid for the safety” of their families. The congressman also suggested without that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has intentionally killed not only Palestinians but also Israeli civilians.
“I am disgusted that we are allowing the man who is responsible for ripping families apart and killing Israeli and Palestinian civilians to be given a platform before Congress to try and win support and funding for his indiscriminate bombing campaign,” Bowman wrote.
Israel says it has gone to unprecedented lengths to try and avoid civilian casualties, noting its efforts to evacuate areas before it targets them and to warn residents of impending military operations with leaflets, text messages, and other forms of communication. However, Hamas, which rules Gaza, has in many cases prevented people from leaving, according to the IDF.
Another challenge for Israel is Hamas’’widely recognized military strategy of embedding its terrorists within Gaza’s civilian population and commandeering civilian facilities like hospitals, schools, and mosques to run operations and direct attacks.
Still, Bowman wrote that “in Israel, thousands of people are protesting against Netanyahu’s handling of the war, which is further putting hostages held in Gaza at risk. They are calling for a ceasefire and negotiations between Israel and Hamas to protect the safety of innocent civilians in Israel and Gaza.”
Bowman urged Congress not to “ignore the will of the people” and push for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. The congressman also called for a “paradigm shift” in how the public discusses the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
“We need a permanent ceasefire and release of the hostages. We need a world where people understand that criticism of a state or a leader does not make you antisemitic. We need a paradigm shift on how we approach the issue of Israel and Palestine,” the congressman said.
In the months following Hamas’ Oct. 7 massacre across southern Israel that launched the ongoing war in Gaza, Bowman has positioned himself as one of the most vocal opponents of the Jewish state among US lawmakers.
Bowman has repeatedly claimed that Israel’s defensive military efforts in Gaza are tantamount to a “genocide.” He has also argued that the US-Israel relationship is rooted in a commitment to “white supremacy” and “white nationalism” and dismissed reports that Israeli women were raped on Oct. 7 as “propaganda.”
In an effort to court support among the far-left progressives, Bowman agreed to vote against future funding for Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system. The congressman also agreed to publicly support the boycott, divestment, and sanctions movement (BDS), which seeks to isolate Israel from the international community as a step toward the Jewish state’s eventual elimination.
Bowman’s rhetoric toward Israel incensed many Jewish and pro-Israel voters in the leafy suburbs of Westchester, New York, ultimately dooming his congressional reelection campaign. Mondaire Jones (D-NY), a fellow progressive lawmaker, opted to endorse Bowman’s opponent George Latimer, citing the congressman’s position on Israel as a key reason. The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), a pro-Israel lobbying group, spent nearly $15 million to unseat Bowman.
Bowman attempted to salvage his ill-fated campaign by holding rallies with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-VT). These last-ditch efforts failed to move the needle among voters, however.. Latimer won the June 25 primary by a commanding margin of 58 percent to 42 percent.
The post US Rep. Jamaal Bowman Pens Op-ed Slamming Netanyahu as ‘Genocidal War Criminal’ in Latest Anti-Israel Invective first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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After False Dawns, Gazans Hope Trump Will Force End to Two-Year-Old War
Palestinians walk past a residential building destroyed in previous Israeli strikes, after Hamas agreed to release hostages and accept some other terms in a US plan to end the war, in Nuseirat, central Gaza Strip October 4, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Mahmoud Issa
Exhausted Palestinians in Gaza clung to hopes on Saturday that US President Donald Trump would keep up pressure on Israel to end a two-year-old war that has killed tens of thousands and displaced the entire population of more than two million.
Hamas’ declaration that it was ready to hand over hostages and accept some terms of Trump’s plan to end the conflict while calling for more talks on several key issues was greeted with relief in the enclave, where most homes are now in ruins.
“It’s happy news, it saves those who are still alive,” said 32-year-old Saoud Qarneyta, reacting to Hamas’ response and Trump’s intervention. “This is enough. Houses have been damaged, everything has been damaged, what is left? Nothing.”
GAZAN RESIDENT HOPES ‘WE WILL BE DONE WITH WARS’
Ismail Zayda, 40, a father of three, displaced from a suburb in northern Gaza City where Israel launched a full-scale ground operation last month, said: “We want President Trump to keep pushing for an end to the war, if this chance is lost, it means that Gaza City will be destroyed by Israel and we might not survive.
“Enough, two years of bombardment, death and starvation. Enough,” he told Reuters on a social media chat.
“God willing this will be the last war. We will hopefully be done with the wars,” said 59-year-old Ali Ahmad, speaking in one of the tented camps where most Palestinians now live.
“We urge all sides not to backtrack. Every day of delay costs lives in Gaza, it is not just time wasted, lives get wasted too,” said Tamer Al-Burai, a Gaza City businessman displaced with members of his family in central Gaza Strip.
After two previous ceasefires — one near the start of the war and another earlier this year — lasted only a few weeks, he said; “I am very optimistic this time, maybe Trump’s seeking to be remembered as a man of peace, will bring us real peace this time.”
RESIDENT WORRIES THAT NETANYAHU WILL ‘SABOTAGE’ DEAL
Some voiced hopes of returning to their homes, but the Israeli military issued a fresh warning to Gazans on Saturday to stay out of Gaza City, describing it as a “dangerous combat zone.”
Gazans have faced previous false dawns during the past two years, when Trump and others declared at several points during on-off negotiations between Hamas, Israel and Arab and US mediators that a deal was close, only for war to rage on.
“Will it happen? Can we trust Trump? Maybe we trust Trump, but will Netanyahu abide this time? He has always sabotaged everything and continued the war. I hope he ends it now,” said Aya, 31, who was displaced with her family to Deir Al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip.
She added: “Maybe there is a chance the war ends at October 7, two years after it began.”
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Mass Rally in Rome on Fourth Day of Italy’s Pro-Palestinian Protests
A Pro-Palestinian demonstrator waves a Palestinian flag during a national protest for Gaza in Rome, Italy, October 4, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Claudia Greco
Large crowds assembled in central Rome on Saturday for the fourth straight day of protests in Italy since Israel intercepted an international flotilla trying to deliver aid to Gaza, and detained its activists.
People holding banners and Palestinian flags, chanting “Free Palestine” and other slogans, filed past the Colosseum, taking part in a march that organizers hoped would attract at least 1 million people.
“I’m here with a lot of other friends because I think it is important for us all to mobilize individually,” Francesco Galtieri, a 65-year-old musician from Rome, said. “If we don’t all mobilize, then nothing will change.”
Since Israel started blocking the flotilla late on Wednesday, protests have sprung up across Europe and in other parts of the world, but in Italy they have been a daily occurrence, in multiple cities.
On Friday, unions called a general strike in support of the flotilla, with demonstrations across the country that attracted more than 2 million, according to organizers. The interior ministry estimated attendance at around 400,000.
Italy’s right-wing government has been critical of the protests, with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni suggesting that people would skip work for Gaza just as an excuse for a longer weekend break.
On Saturday, Meloni blamed protesters for insulting graffiti that appeared on a statue of the late Pope John Paul II outside Rome’s main train station, where Pro-Palestinian groups have been holding a protest picket.
“They say they are taking to the streets for peace, but then they insult the memory of a man who was a true defender and builder of peace. A shameful act committed by people blinded by ideology,” she said in a statement.
Israel launched its Gaza offensive after Hamas terrorists staged a cross border attack on October 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people and taking 251 people hostage.
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Hamas Says It Agrees to Release All Israeli Hostages Under Trump Gaza Plan
Smoke rises during an Israeli military operation in Gaza City, as seen from the central Gaza Strip, October 2, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Dawoud Abu Alkas
Hamas said on Friday it had agreed to release all Israeli hostages, alive or dead, under the terms of US President Donald Trump’s Gaza proposal, and signaled readiness to immediately enter mediated negotiations to discuss the details.