https://sputnikglobe.com/20240218/new-york-governor-forced-to-apologize-after-defending-israels-destruction-of-gaza-1116852226.html
New York Governor Forced to Apologize After Defending Israel’s Destruction of Gaza
New York Governor Forced to Apologize After Defending Israel’s Destruction of Gaza
Sputnik International
A US governor defended Israel’s assault on the Gaza Strip while speaking in front of a group of wealthy donors. New York State Governor Kathy Hochul issued a statement expressing regret over remarks made at a fundraiser for the United Jewish Appeal-Federation of New York, a Zionist organization.
2024-02-18T02:32+0000
2024-02-18T02:32+0000
2024-02-18T02:32+0000
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A controversial US governor was forced to apologize Friday after justifying Israel’s mass killing of civilians in the Gaza Strip, which has been described as genocidal by international experts.New York State Governor Kathy Hochul issued a statement expressing regret over remarks made at a fundraiser for the United Jewish Appeal-Federation of New York, a Zionist organization.“If Canada someday ever attacked Buffalo [New York], I'm sorry my friends, there would be no Canada the next day,” said Hochul at the event, justifying the Israeli regime’s largescale destruction of Gaza. “That is a natural reaction.”The comment quickly spread on social media where users denounced Hochul’s insensitivity towards the massive loss of Palestinian life. Nearly 29,000 people have been killed in Israel’s military operation in Gaza, with around 70% of the dead estimated to be women and children. Relief organizations have warned the population of the besieged enclave faces mass famine as Israel strictly limits the amount of aid allowed to enter, with some residents already reportedly dying of starvation.Hochul also faced local opposition to her comments; New York is home to a significant Arab-American population as well as a large Jewish population. Hochul made a visit to Israel in October at the behest of the parent group of the United Jewish Appeal-Federation of New York, which funds trips by political leaders to the country. Hochul opted to pay for the junket with state taxpayer funds.The incident demonstrates the tightrope Democratic Party politicians walk in their attempts to navigate the contentious issue. Jewish Americans are generally considered a reliable Democratic Party constituency, and Zionist organizations such as AIPAC play a significant role in funding political campaigns in the United States. But Democrats face growing opposition to their support for Israel from Arab-Americans, who make up a large voting bloc in key swing states such as Michigan.New York is home to hundreds of thousands of people of Arab ancestry, including populations from Syria, Lebanon, and other Middle East countries. Cities across the state and the country have been rocked by large protests in recent months demanding an Israeli ceasefire.Israel has bombarded the Gaza Strip in retaliation for an October 7 attack by the group Hamas, which targeted military installations tasked with policing the occupied Palestinian enclave.Israel has controlled Gaza and the West Bank, which are considered Palestinian territory under international law, since 1967, and has occupied greater Palestine since the establishment of the state in 1948. The country’s establishment followed the Nakba, the Arabic term for the campaign of mass killing and ethnic cleansing that removed hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from their ancestral lands.Although Zionists sometimes attempt to defend Israel as a project of indigenous “decolonization,” the movement’s founders explicitly understood it as a colonial endeavor. Theodor Herzl, the father of Zionism, envisioned the project in explicitly racist terms, describing his desired Israeli state as an outpost of European civilization in the Arab world.Herzl once sought advice for his imperialist project from Cecil Rhodes, writing an admiring letter to the infamous British businessman and namesake of the white supremacist state Rhodesia. Decades later, Israel still finds its primary source of financial and military support in former colonial powers in Western Europe and the United States.
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https://sputnikglobe.com/20240217/diplomatic-cables-bidens-support-for-israel-has-poisoned-allies-attitudes-toward-us-1116849441.html
https://sputnikglobe.com/20240217/us-prepares-to-supply-weapons-to-israel-despite-calls-for-ceasefire---report-1116841340.html
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New York Governor Forced to Apologize After Defending Israel’s Destruction of Gaza
A US governor defended Israel’s assault on the Gaza Strip while speaking in front of a group of wealthy donors.
A controversial US governor was forced to
apologize Friday after justifying Israel’s mass killing of civilians in the Gaza Strip, which has been described as genocidal by international experts.
New York State Governor Kathy Hochul issued a statement expressing regret over remarks made at a fundraiser for the United Jewish Appeal-Federation of New York, a Zionist organization.
“If Canada someday ever attacked Buffalo [New York], I'm sorry my friends, there would be no Canada the next day,” said Hochul at the event, justifying the Israeli regime’s largescale destruction of Gaza. “That is a natural reaction.”
The comment quickly spread on social media where users denounced Hochul’s insensitivity towards the massive loss of Palestinian life. Nearly 29,000 people have been killed in Israel’s military operation in Gaza, with around 70% of the dead estimated to be women and children. Relief organizations have warned the population of the besieged enclave faces mass famine as
Israel strictly limits the amount of aid allowed to enter, with some residents already reportedly dying of starvation.
Hochul also faced local opposition to her comments; New York is home to a significant Arab-American population as well as a large Jewish population. Hochul made a visit to Israel in October at the behest of the parent group of the United Jewish Appeal-Federation of New York, which funds trips by political leaders to the country. Hochul opted to pay for the junket with state taxpayer funds.
“While I have been clear in my support of Israel's right to self-defense [sic], I have also repeatedly said and continue to believe that Palestinian civilian casualties should be avoided and that more humanitarian aid must go to the people of Gaza,” read Hochul’s statement Friday. The politician apologized for her “poor choice of words,” claiming she used “an inappropriate analogy that I now realize could be hurtful to members of our community.”
The incident demonstrates the tightrope Democratic Party politicians walk in their attempts to navigate the contentious issue. Jewish Americans are generally considered a reliable Democratic Party constituency, and Zionist organizations such as AIPAC play a significant role in funding political campaigns in the United States. But Democrats face growing opposition to their support for Israel from Arab-Americans, who make up a large voting bloc in key swing states such as Michigan.
New York is home to hundreds of thousands of people of Arab ancestry, including populations from Syria, Lebanon, and other Middle East countries. Cities across the state and the country have been rocked by large protests in recent months demanding an Israeli ceasefire.
Israel has bombarded the Gaza Strip in retaliation for an October 7 attack by the group Hamas, which targeted military installations tasked with policing the occupied Palestinian enclave.
Israel has controlled Gaza and the West Bank, which are considered Palestinian territory under international law, since 1967, and has occupied greater Palestine since the establishment of the state in 1948. The country’s establishment followed the
Nakba, the Arabic term for the campaign of mass killing and ethnic cleansing that removed hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from their ancestral lands.
Although Zionists sometimes attempt to defend Israel as a project of indigenous “decolonization,” the movement’s founders explicitly understood it as a colonial endeavor. Theodor Herzl, the father of Zionism, envisioned the project in explicitly racist terms, describing his desired Israeli state as an outpost of European civilization in the Arab world.
Herzl once
sought advice for his imperialist project from Cecil Rhodes, writing an admiring letter to the infamous British businessman and namesake of the white supremacist state Rhodesia. Decades later, Israel still finds its primary source of financial and military support in former colonial powers in Western Europe and the
United States.
