Ocasio-Cortez defends her floor speech accusing Israel of genocide

Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has said it is justified to criticize Israel for the high number of Palestinian casualties and to push for limits on funding for Israeli military until Gaza receives the necessary assistance.

According to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, she thought very carefully before using the word genocide in her speech on Friday.

Even though she has criticized the fighting in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, Ocasio-Cortez is careful about calling Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians genocide. She tends to use softer language when talking about Israel, unlike some of her friends who are more critical.

The situation in Gaza is getting worse and worse. Ocasio-Cortez said said to the media that it has reached a critical point.

“Right now, 1. 1 million people in Gaza are close to starving,” Ocasio-Cortez said in her speech on Friday. “A famine is being caused on purpose by the Israeli government leaders blocking food and help from reaching people in need. ”

“If you want to see what a genocide looks like as it happens, just look around you,” the New York Democrat said.

Over 32,000 people in the coastal area have died since the war between Israel and Hamas started, says the Gaza Ministry of Health.

All 22 million people in Gaza don’t have enough food to eat, with half of the population close to starving. There could be a famine in the north between March and May 2024, according to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification.

Ocasio-Cortez said, “I think we can’t ignore or explain away the suffering caused by this famine. ” “Hamas is not being specifically attacked to cause a famine that could affect a million people, including many children. ”

Her remarks come as the Biden government is becoming more firm before important meetings this week between US and Israeli officials.

Vice President Kamala Harris said on Sunday that the US might punish Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government if they attack Rafah with their military. Rafah is a place where more than a million people live in a big tent city. Harris said this would be a big mistake.

“We have told you many times that a big military move in Rafah would be a bad idea. ” I have looked at the maps and want to tell you something. “There is no place for those people to go,” she said on the TV show “This Week” on ABC.

Harris is going to make a speech while the national security adviser and the Israeli defense minister are meeting at the White House on Monday. They need to keep trying to free the rest of the people held by Hamas and make sure that the people in Gaza get the help they need.