An anti-Israel candidate who supports BDS unseated a veteran politician in a Democratic primary in New York’s 14th congressional district.
By: JNS and United with Israel Staff
A Democratic Socialist who upset Rep. Joe Crowley (D-NY) in a primary on Tuesday night previously said that Israel had committed a “massacre” in the Gaza Strip.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, 28, who soundly defeated Crowley as part of a party primary for New York’s 14th congressional district, is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, which supports the anti-Israel BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) movement.
In a May 14 tweet, Ocasio-Cortez said Israel’s killing of Palestinians along the Gaza border was a “massacre,” and that “no state or entity is absolved of mass shootings of protesters.”
“There is no justification. Palestinian people deserve basic human dignity, as anyone else,” she said. “Democrats can’t be silent about this anymore.”
The violent “March of Return” protests, orchestrated by the Palestinian Hamas terror group, began on March 30. On May 14, 62 Palestinians were killed in clashes with the IDF. Hamas leaders admitted that at least 50 of those killed were members of the terror group. Islamic Jihad claimed another three.
The primary victory of Ocasio-Cortez over Crowley—the No. 4 Democrat in the House of Representatives, who many viewed as vying for a top leadership position in the next year—may represent a broader shift in the Democratic Party towards the more progressive wing championed by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who is also a socialist and has strongly condemned Israel’s actions in recent months.
Ocasio-Cortez, a former Bernie Sanders organizer during his 2016 campaign, caught fire with the party’s left wing.
“Congratulations to @Ocasio2018 on her extraordinary upset victory tonight! She took on the entire local Democratic establishment in her district and won a very strong victory. She demonstrated once again what progressive grassroots politics can do,” Sanders tweeted after her victory.
In a statement, the Jewish Democratic Council of America, congratulating Ocasio-Cortez on her victory, said it disagreed with her stance on Israel.
“We disagree with her past statement regarding Israel, as well as her affiliation with the Democratic Socialists of America, which supports the boycott, divestment and sanctions [BDS] movement targeting Israel. In the coming days and months, we hope to learn more about Ms. Ocasio-Cortez’s views, but at the moment, her position on Israel is not in line with our values.”
Ocasio-Cortez will face Republican Anthony Pappas in November. She has never held elected office.
28/06/2018 by UNITED WITH ISRAEL
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