Progressive Democrats calling for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas faced backlash on Monday for the glaring omissions in their resolution.
Lead by Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.), a group of 13 far-left House Democrats introduced a resolution calling for the “immediate de-escalation and cease-fire in Israel and occupied Palestine.”
As justification for their demand, the resolution states that “all human life is precious, and the targeting of civilians, no matter their faith or ethnicity, is a violation of international humanitarian law” and 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.”
There are serious issues with the resolution.
First, the Israeli military is targeting Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip, not civilians; only Hamas terrorists have targeted civilians.
Second, the resolution speaks using passive language. Did “armed violence” claim the lives of 1,400 Israelis? No. Hamas terrorists invaded Israel and brutally murdered innocent people, including babies.
Third, nowhere does the resolution mention Hamas, terrorism, or that the only reason Israel is conducting military operations against Gaza is because Hamas, the de facto government of the Gaza Strip, attacked Israel first.
Finally and most importantly, the resolution fails to mention the hundreds of hostages who remain imprisoned by Hamas.
Social media had a field day with the resolution, highlighting its many problems:
- “Have the sponsors of this resolution called for Hamas to release the people they kidnapped? Have they called on Hamas to give up power so that a non-terrorist group can work to actually improve the lives of the Palestinians in Gaza?
I know the answer to these questions,” Nebraska University professor Ari Kohen said.
- “When they make a moral equivalency between mass murder, rape, the torture of children and kidnapping of the elderly—and those trying to stop it, they are asking you to relinquish your humanity. Such shameful language here from The Squad—who couldn’t spare a word for the hostages,” Newsweek editor Batya Ungar-Sargon said.
- “Sorry, I must be blind. Where’s the part condemning Hamas for slaughtering babies or demanding that tortured hostages be released?” Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) responded.
- “You did all this but won’t demand Hamas release the hostages? You aren’t serious and you care nothing for lives unless you demand that Hamas deescalate the fight it brought by releasing all hostages now,” conservative commentator Dana Loesch said.
- “There can be no ceasefire. We can have a ceasefire when Hamas is dead,” Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) said.
- “[Y]our current legislation puts the offender, Hamas, on an equal footing with the defender, Israel, so I’m going to guess that your proposal is not about saving lives, but more like ‘we must do everything we can to save’ Hamas,” Hussain Abdul-Hussain of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies said.
- “Notice not one word about the hostages, including Americans, being held in Gaza in this resolution from the Congressional Hamas caucus,” another person highlighted.
The White House has not endorsed their demand for a ceasefire, but instead has been critical of progressive Democrats‘ rhetoric about the situation.
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