New York Rep. Jamaal Bowman, a Democrat, is calling for a \u2018clear distinction\u2019 to be made between Israel\u2019s citizens and the country\u2019s government as there has been a rising number of cases of antisemitism in the U.S. and around the world amid the war between Israeli forces and Hamas terrorists.<\/p>\n
Bowman explained that people can hold the Israeli government accountable while also standing with the Jewish people against hate and antisemitism.<\/p>\n
\u2018The Israeli government is not representative of the Jewish people. Those are two different things,\u2019 the congressman said in a video posted to X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. \u2018And so when I criticize the Israeli government, I\u2019m not criticizing Jewish people. When I\u2019m criticizing the Myanmar government, I\u2019m not criticizing Buddhists. When I\u2019m criticizing Saudi Arabia, I\u2019m not criticizing Muslims. When I criticize the U.S., I\u2019m criticizing the U.S. government.\u2019<\/p>\n
\u2018Because our governments have to do better for its people as opposed to using our people and our trauma and our grief and our suffering for their own power,\u2019 he continued.<\/p>\n
More than 10,000 people have been killed in Gaza and Israel since Hamas\u00a0launched its\u00a0largest attack\u00a0against the Jewish State in decades on Oct. 7, leading to retaliatory action\u00a0from Israeli forces.\u00a0Thousands more have been wounded, and many others have been taken hostage by Hamas and raped, tortured and murdered.<\/p>\n
Bowman is among several progressive Democrats who have been critical of the Israeli government since its war against Hamas began. A proposal to censure Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., over comments critical of Israel failed to pass last week.<\/p>\n
The New York congressman co-sponsored a resolution last month with more than a dozen other progressive House members calling for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas. Bowman was also one of the more than 20 House members, which included one Republican, who voted against a separate resolution calling on administrators at U.S. universities to condemn antisemitism on their campuses and to ensure that Jewish faculty and students can exercise free speech without intimidation.<\/p>\n
In his video on Saturday, Bowman also urged the Biden administration to ensure that Israel is following international law in its war against Hamas.<\/p>\n
\u2018I think when we\u2019re having the conversation about human rights and international law, we have to have honest conversations, and we have to hold even our allies accountable when they are violating international law,\u2019 Bowman said. \u2018I think the U.S. hasn\u2019t done a good enough job of that.\u2019<\/p>\n
The Biden administration has strongly supported Israel in its war against Hamas, including backing its right to defend itself and pledging billions in aid. Last week, the administration called for a \u2018humanitarian pause\u2019 in the war to assist civilians in Gaza.<\/p>\n
\u2018Yes, we want [Israel] to be our allies. Absolutely. They have a right to defend themselves and to self-determination,\u2019 Bowman said. \u2018The Palestinians have that same right.\u2019<\/p>\n