In a recent discussion that proved the President’s low rating and inflation haven’t dampened her outspoken nature, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez shared her opinions on the contentious issue of Israel’s actions in Gaza. She only just barely managed to resist describing Israel’s actions as genocide. Nevertheless, she just had to make some comments on the matter.
AOC timed her commentary to follow the International Court of Justice’s (CJ) directive to Israel, urging the prevention of potential genocidal acts against Palestinians in Gaza. What comments did the New York Congresswoman make? You can bet your bottom dollar it’s as ridiculous as her term in office has been.
One of her most recent comments was that everyone has the right to mention the word “genocide” in connection with the Israel-Hamas war. She then went on to say that no one should be tossed from a public venue for voicing the G word. (It’s okay to eject them from private events.) Even crazier, AOC expressed her belief that a large number, dare we say most, of Americans believe that what is happening in Gaza is an act of genocide.
AOC’s remarks on the “large number” of Americans are based on a poll from YouGov and The Economist that polled only people who voted for Biden. According to the poll, half of the respondents who voted for Biden in 2020 also thought that the Israeli government was committing an act of genocide in the Gaza Strip. Is anyone surprised that she would forget all the people who voted for Trump (you know, the other half of the nation)?
Of course, she has to keep stroking the flames of her fan base by adding that since the ICJ said there was a responsibility to prevent it, it really means that the Hamas-loving folks of Gaza are facing a “mass inhumanity.” It is apparent that AOC doesn’t think Israel suffered a grave injustice on October 7 when it was minding its own business. Although she did manage to condemn the attacks, she went on to say that it’s not about 25,000 people dying in Gaza; it’s about starvation and displacement. As a result, Gazans are suffering greatly, to the point that terms such as “genocide” have entered the conflict’s lexicon.
For its part, the International Court of Justice hasn’t made a distinction; it is in the process of deliberating on the case presented by the South African government, advocating for the classification of the Israeli campaign as a “genocide.” The recent ruling by the Court mandated that Israel take measures to prevent potential genocide. A final determination is still pending, but the Israeli government has vehemently denied accusations of genocide or ethnic cleansing against Palestinians.
When asked about the derisive moniker “Genocide Joe” for the US president that some of the activists on her party’s progressive left flank have started using, AOC defended those in her party (including fellow “Squad” member Rashida Tlaib) who have used the term and accused the US government of being complicit. Tlaib, a Democrat from Michigan, had been more straightforward in her criticism, implying that the administration of President Biden is supporting acts that are tantamount to genocide.
When it gets too complicated for her to handle, she shifts her focus to the reactions of young Americans, especially those who are increasingly alarmed by the escalating violence and the devastating loss of life.
Ironically, AOC thinks the modern use of the word only applies to the Israel-Hamas war. In an April 2022 interview, the President called Russia’s invasion of Ukraine a “genocide.” Yet the squad members and the ICJ are silent on that front. It’s also worth noting that Israeli officials and international monitoring organizations strongly disagree over the number of Hamas militants killed, with Israel claiming as many as 9,000 have died.
