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The progressive Squad member, who has been accused of antisemitism herself, said during a live stream she hosted on X called "Antisemitism and the Fight for Democracy," that the spike in antisemitism since Palestinian terrorists attacked Israel on Oct. 7 killing 1,200 people and kidnapping 250 others, has "undermined" the progressive movement.
She stated, "Antisemitism, hate, and violence against Jews because of their identity is real, and it is dangerous. It is also important to say here in this moment and during that conversation that criticism of the Israeli government is not inherently antisemitic and criticism of Zionism is not automatically antisemitic."
Ocasio-Cortez continued, "That being true does not mean that we should not recognize that criticism and when that criticism crosses a line into real harm against our Jewish community. Antisemitism is an assault on our values as Americans and especially as progressives. Antisemitism is also a threat to a community that is a vital partner in our struggles against injustice. So, when the Jewish community is threatened, the progressive movement is undermined. That is why we reject it as fiercely as we reject and look for misogyny, Islamophobia or any form of bigotry or discrimination in any space that we occupy. Right now, antisemitism is on the rise in America and across the world. Acknowledging that fact does not take away from fights for liberation, it actually advances them."
She noted, "At the same time, it is also true that accusations and false accusations of antisemitism are wielded against people of color and women of color by bad-faith political actors, And weaponizing antisemitism is used to divide us and create a false choice between the fight for Jewish safety and the calls for Palestinian self-determination. Defending and standing for the rights of Palestinians is not antisemitic, and we must be able to identify when bad-faith political actors make accusations simply to divide us. People can disagree bitterly about Israel and Gaza, but it has felt that we’ve been at a point where even coming together to acknowledge and discuss any antisemitism at all can feel impossible."
The Republican Jewish Coalition slammed Ocasio-Cortez for claiming that false claims of antisemitism target people of color. The group said in a statement to Fox News, "AOC’s ‘Squad’ includes the most noxious antisemites in Congress. And across the board, Democrats have shamefully refused to hold the Hamas Caucus of their party accountable. It is shocking that the Democratic Party has this much difficulty calling out antisemitism – instead of despicable race-baiting, AOC should focus on fighting bigotry in her own ranks."
The day before, Ocasio-Cortez wrote on X, "Hmm it’s almost like AIPAC functions as a political slush fund for Republican billionaires and should not have influence in the Democratic Party, let alone our primaries," referencing the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a bipartisan group that works to strengthen the relationship between the US and Israel.
Other Squad members including Ilhan Omar have previously claimed that any criticism of their antisemitism is bigotry and even organized events accusing others of "weaponizing allegations of antisemitism."
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