Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) is pushing back against continued left-wing criticism over her reaction to protests outside an exhibition in New York that pays tribute to those killed at the Nova Music Festival during Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks last year.
More than 360 people were killed at the festival in the attacks that prompted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to declare war on Hamas. Since then, Israel’s offensive in Gaza has killed more than 36,000 Palestinians and has led to a “full-blown famine” in parts of Gaza as humanitarian aid operations remain constrained.
Major protests against Israel have swept U.S. college campuses and beyond—but the latest demonstration outside the Nova Music Festival exhibit is being widely rebuked as antisemitic.
“That is pure antisemitism,” New York City Mayor Eric Adams said of the protesters “waving Hamas and Hezbollah flags” outside the exhibit.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) weighed in as well, saying in a statement that the protest—”where some participants chanted antisemitic slogans, endorsed the repugnant actions of terrorist groups like Hamas and celebrated the deaths of hundreds of innocent civilians is unconscionable and un-American.”
Ocasio-Cortez similarly stated on X: “The callousness, dehumanization, and targeting of Jews on display at last night’s protest outside the Nova Festival exhibit was atrocious antisemitism – plain and simple.”
But Ocasio-Cortez’s rebuke prompted a flurry of criticism—both from pro-Israel advocates who argued her “rhetoric FUELS this hate” but also from pro-Palestinian advocates on the same side of the aisle.
“you’re defending – once again – explicit genocide propaganda,” argued one person on X.
“Oops she forgot about that AIPAC money,” someone else said, referencing the pro-Israel lobbying group American Israel Public Affairs Committee. (Ocasio-Cortez has not received any funds from AIPAC.)
“Did AIPAC write this post for you?” replied someone else.
Ocasio-Cortez on Wednesday pushed back against the criticism she has faced for condemning the protest outside the exhibition, countering that “we can mobilize to end the atrocities in Gaza and combat the rise of antisemitism at the same time.”
“Additionally, the accusation that my disgust at antisemitism and bigotry must be because I’m getting paid ALSO reeks of antisemitism,” she added. “Especially given the absolute mountain of evidence of how I fight AIPAC + other lobbies every day. It’s unsubstantiated, conspiratorial, gross.”
But it’s not even the first time this week the progressive representative has faced criticism from those on the left over Israel and Palestine.
A Monday livestream Ocasio-Cortez hosted with two experts on antisemitism was met with some left-wing backlash, with pro-Palestinian activists arguing she had platformed Zionists.
“This normalization of Zionists and Zionism by politicians who are supposed to be pro Palestine is a disgusting betrayal of everything we value,” one left-wing user blasted. “Legitimization of Zionist grievance in a time of genocide against Palestinians only further marginalizes Palestinian people and endangers them. There should be zero tolerance for this on the left.”
“You are not a for the people politician when you have Zionist lobby group on your livestream,” commented someone else. “You have officially been bought and are paid for by the lobby.”
And in March, pro-Palestine protesters chased her out of a movie theater while demanding she characterize the war as a “genocide.”
Ocasio-Cortez offered a sharp rebuke at the time, saying: “It’s fucked up, man. You’re not helping these people. You’re not helping them.”
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