Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Sunday downplayed the “Genocide Joe” moniker that protesters and some of her fellow House Democrats have labeled President Biden for his Israel support.

Pro-Palestinian protesters and members of Congress says Israel’s war against Hamas genocide for the large number of civilian causalities in the Gaza Strip, prompting calls for Mr. Biden to back a ceasefire and accusations that he’s propping up war crimes.

“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,” Ms. Ocasio-Cortez, New York Democrat, said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “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 inhumanity that Gazans are facing.”

Rep. Rashida Tlaib, Michigan Democrat and Congress’ sole Palestinian-American, has for months accused Mr. Biden of supporting genocide against Gazans.

Ms. Ocasio-Cortez, a member of the so-called Squad with Ms. Tlaib and other left-wing members, defended her colleague’s use of the term.

“In our polling, we are seeing large amounts of Americans concerned specifically with that word,” she said. “I don’t think that it is something to completely toss someone out of our public discourse for using.”

• Ramsey Touchberry can be reached at rtouchberry@washingtontimes.com.