New York City’s chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America apologized Tuesday for promoting a pro-Palestinian rally over the weekend after hundreds of Israelis were killed – but refused to directly condemn the Hamas terrorists behind the gruesome slaughter.
The mealy-mouthed mea culpa from the progressive group coincided with delayed criticism of the Sunday rally in Manhattan from two NYC-DSA members — far-left Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Jamaal Bowman.
“On Saturday, in anticipation of escalatory violence to come, we tweeted a promotion of a rally in solidarity with the people of Palestine,” part of the NYC DSA statement read.
“We understand why many, including our allies, were shocked by the timing and the tone of this message in a moment of profound fear and grief. We are sorry for the confusion our post caused and for not making our values explicit.”
Members of the under-fire organization said they “deeply mourn the loss of life in the region and unequivocally condemn all hatred and the killing of all civilians” while encouraging people to focus on what the DSA believes is the “root cause” of the bloodshed.
The NYC-DSA called out the “far-right” Israeli government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and the US for providing military aid to its Jewish ally, while not mentioning Hamas in the latest statement.
“We are also concerned that some have chosen to focus on a rally while ignoring the root causes of violence in the region, the far-right Netanyahu government’s escalating human rights violations and explicitly genocidal rhetoric, and the dehumanization of the Palestinian people,” the NYC-DSA stated.
The rally, which featured protesters stomping on an Israeli flag and another flashing a swastika on his phone, was organized hours after Hamas terrorists launched a sneak attack on Israeli communities.
More than 1,000 civilians in Israel have been killed so far in the savage assault that included kidnapping women and children and taking them back to the Gaza Strip.
Ocasio-Cortez belatedly denounced the rally in a new statement Tuesday after a growing number of Democrats – including Gov. Kathy Hochul and NYC Mayor Eric Adams – blasted the protest before it even got underway.
“It should not be hard to shut down hatred and antisemitism where we see it,” AOC said in the statement. “That is a core tenet of solidarity. The bigotry and callousness expressed in Times Square on Sunday were unacceptable and harmful in this devastating moment.”
Rep. Jamaal Bowman said in a tweet on Tuesday that he was “shocked and disgusted” by the rally that cheered “death or attacks on civilians and shows swastikas.”
“I condemn any demonstration that does this in the strongest possible terms,” he said in a statement. “We must proceed on the basis of recognizing our shared humanity.”
The NYC-DSA also called for a cease-fire between Israel and Palestine after Israel warned of “mighty vengeance” following Hamas’ terror attack.
“The death toll is rising rapidly. No amount of violence, deprivation, or collective punishment will make everyday Palestinians and Israelis safe,” the NYC-DSA insisted.