Independent presidential candidate Cornel West and his running mate Thursday night defended their anti-Israel rhetoric in a bid to curry favor with Democratic-leaning Palestinian voters.
Mr. West's running mate, Melina Abdullah, said she supported a statement released by the grassroots Black Lives Matter group on Tuesday, holding Israel responsible for the Hamas insurgency and calling for the October 7 He claimed the attack was an “act of self-defense.” ”
“I think it's really important to understand where the riots are coming from, even if you don't agree with the tactics that are being used,” Abdullah told CNN host Abby Phillips. “It is truly disturbing that we are constantly asked to condemn Hamas. I am not a member of Hamas. It is even more disturbing that the entire country is built on ethnic genocide. I think we have to start there.”
West, who has called for a permanent cease-fire and the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the Gaza Strip, also blamed Israel for the war between Middle Eastern states and terrorist organizations. He also defended Hamas' actions as “counterterrorism.”
“I don't believe in killing innocent people,” West told Phillips. “But you can't start with these voices without accepting the heinous murders and occupations that have been going on for 75 years, and the counterterrorism response to that.”
West did not say whether he supported Hamas releasing prisoners through a cease-fire agreement, but insisted that Israel was responsible for withdrawing its troops from Palestinian territory.
Click here to read the full Washington Examiner article
“The Israel Defense Forces are not going to ceasefire just by disengaging. They themselves have to stop,” West said. “Palestinian lives are being lost, we have to start there. The acts of terrorism that they are carrying out amount to the crime of genocide. Therefore, for me, they must stop. Hamas is not the culprit. It is the Israel Defense Forces, and they are the ones who are terrorizing. is.”
The comments come as the left fights for support from anti-Israel protesters, which has proven to be a weak point for President Joe Biden. Thousands of anti-Israel voters cast “protest votes” against Biden during the Democratic primary, but were not voted for any candidate, instead voting “non-committal.”
of washington examiner has reached out to West's camp for comment.
