Dem Rep. Torres Decries Harvard Students Blaming Israel

Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., denounced several student organizations at Harvard University for signing a letter blaming the Israeli government for the violence and death arising from attacks by Hamas, the Washington Examiner reported Monday.

Hamas, a recognized terrorist organization, received financial backing from Iran, a country that had recently seen $6 billion in assets unfrozen by the Biden administration. The attack, which caught Israel off guard, unfolded early Saturday, with militants converging on the Jewish state via land, air, and sea. This event left many within the intelligence community baffled, as it raised questions about the apparent failure of world-class surveillance and intelligence agencies to detect the invasion.

In response to a letter signed by more than 30 Harvard student groups blaming Israel, Torres posted on X: "Israel is the victim of a terrorist attack. Hamas is the perpetrator. It's as simple as that. There are no 'both sides.'"

The Harvard organizations believe the Israeli government bore full responsibility for the invasion, asserting that millions of Palestinians were living in an "open-air prison."

"In the coming days," the student groups wrote, "Palestinians will be forced to bear the full brunt of Israel's violence. The apartheid regime is the only one to blame, Israeli violence has structured every aspect of Palestinian existence for 75 years." They called on the Harvard community to take action against what they deemed the "ongoing annihilation of Palestinians."

In response, Torres wrote, "Here you have 30+ student organizations from Harvard University, blaming the victims, Israelis, for their own murder, rape, and abduction, rather than blaming the perpetrator, Hamas, for murdering, raping, and abducting them."

"Demonizing Israel — to the point of denying the humanity of Israeli victims and the inhumanity of their perpetrators — is moral confusion masquerading as moral clarity."

Torres has positioned himself with a group of Democrats joining the ranks of Republicans in condemning the Hamas attack while offering unwavering support for Israel's right to defend itself against terrorists.

But some, including members of the Squad of far left-wing Democrats such as Reps. Cori Bush, D-Mo., and Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., took a different stance by advocating for a broader return to order and peace, refraining from assigning blame to either side.

"The path to that future must include lifting the blockade, ending the occupation, and dismantling the apartheid conditions that can lead to resistance," Tlaib said in a statement Sunday, according to the Examiner. "As long as our government provides billions in unconditional funding to support the apartheid government, this heartbreaking cycle of violence will continue."

At the highest levels of the U.S. government, President Joe Biden and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin have assured Israeli leaders of the unwavering support of the United States. They pledged to provide additional aid in the coming days.

• Zionist Group Chief to Newsmax: Biden Admin Shares Blame for Israel Attack
• Biden: US Will Always Have Israel's Back