Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., on Sunday argued that Americans should not “toss someone out of our public discourse” for accusing Israel of genocide in its war against Hamas.
During an interview on “Meet the Press,” Ocasio-Cortez argued that “large amounts of Americans” feel the term “genocide” applies to Israel’s actions in the Middle East.
“Whether you are an individual that believes this is a genocide — which by the way, in our polling we are seeing large amounts of Americans concerned specifically with that word. So I don’t think that it is something to completely toss someone out of our public discourse of for using,” she said.
The New York Democrat added that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government “has lost public support.”
Ocasio-Cortez was also asked to respond to her colleagues accusing President Joe Biden of supporting genocide, including fellow progressive Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich.
“Do you agree with that word, ‘genocide,’ that the president’s been supporting a genocide, or does that go too far?” moderator Kristen Welker asked.
“I think what we are seeing right now throughout the country is that young people are appalled at the violence and the indiscriminate loss of life,” she said.
Ocasio-Cortez also noted that the International Court of Justice ordered Israel to take all measures within its authority to prevent genocidal acts against Palestinians in Gaza.
“The fact that they said there’s a responsibility to prevent it, the fact that this word is even in play, the fact that this word is even in our discourse, I think demonstrates the mass in humanity that Gazans are facing,” she said.
Ocasio-Cortez and other progressives have faced backlash for comparing Israeli treatment of Palestinians to Apartheid South Africa while expressing their support for Palestinians. The members of the progressive “Squad” of House members have been accused of being too soft on Palestinian militants.
Ocasio-Cortez, a vocal supporter of a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war, has condemned the militant group, saying, “I condemn Hamas’ attack in the strongest possible terms” in October after clashes broke out at a pro-Palestinian rally held and promoted by some of her allies.
