Progressive Democrat Distances Himself From ‘River to the Sea’ Phrase In Tense Debate With GOP Colleague About Israel-Hamas War
Reps. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) and Mike Lawler (R-NY) squared off on CNN Thursday in an at-times tense debate over the current conflict between Israel and Hamas.
CNN’s Abby Phillip had the two New York lawmakers on her show to discuss the House voting to pass a resolution condemning anti-Semitism while equating anti-Zionism with anti-Semitism. Bowman was one of 14 members who voted against the resolution, which Lawler called him out for.
“I made my own statement condemning Hamas. Absolutely. We condemn any calls for a genocide of our Jewish brothers and sisters or any group of people,” Bowman said in response to Lawler, adding:
But what my colleague just did was conflate criticisms of Israel with anti-Semitism. And that is incorrect. Let me just let me just finish this point. A criticism of a state, the state of Israel, any other state, doesn’t mean you criticize the people that that state claims to represent. Really, fighting anti-Semitism is doing the work in terms of education, engagement, connecting communities and learning what it is and how to do something.
“I just want to be specific here, because one of the issues at hand here is this phrase, ‘From the river to the sea,’ right? This is something that was spoken by your colleague, Rashida Tlaib. It’s something that is chanted on some of these college campuses. That is a phrase the Jewish people believe is a call for the genocide of Jewish people. Do you think that that should be something that is off limits in the halls of Congress and on college campuses?” Phillip asked Bowman.
“It is not a phrase that I use. It is not something I subscribe to, and it is something that absolutely needs to be addressed,” Bowman replied.
“Do you believe it is a call for genocide?” Phillip pressed.
“It’s not a phrase I use because I know many of my Jewish brothers and sisters believe that it is. So I don’t want to encroach upon what they feel that is. And I don’t even use the phrase,” Bowman replied, adding:
So what I’m saying is, when we talk about dealing with anti-Semitism, condemnation of a phrase or an action is not enough. The Republican Party is looking to cut. Let me finish. Looking to cut the Department of Education. They’re looking to cut the department for civil rights.
They’re looking to cut the department where you actually address the issue of anti-Semitism. And then lastly, we can’t deal with anti-Semitism in and of itself without also addressing the issue of Islamophobia. Many of my Muslim and Arab and Palestinian constituents and people all across the city, state and country feel completely erased and dehumanized not only by the Republican Party, but by many members of Congress. And we’ve got to stop having one side of the conversation without the other, because what happens is it continues to exacerbate anti-Semitism.
“I just want to respond to that for a second. ‘From the river to the sea’ is anti-Semitic, period. You sound like the college administrators the other day in the hearing, trying to put context around it,” Lawler shot back, adding:
There’s no context for it. Calling for the eradication of the Jewish people is a genocide. And that is exactly what these folks are doing when they’re chanting, ‘From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.’ I want the Palestinian people to be free from their oppressors. Hamas, the Palestinian Authority, Hamas has used the Palestinian people as human shields for years, killing them, using hospitals, using schools as a vehicle to launch attacks against Israel.
Bowman then began to interrput Lawler in a tense exchange. “Excuse me, I didn’t interrupt you,” Lawler hit back as they spoke over each other.
“I’ll let you finish,” Bowman eventually relented.
“The Palestinian Authority pays Palestinians to kill Jews. Is that not wrong?” Lawler demanded.
“Of course it’s wrong,” Bowman replied.
“Okay. We passed the Taylor Force Act five years ago. This administration is failing to enforce that. In fact, giving the Palestinian Authority funding. Hamas is a terrorist organization. If you want a cease fire in Gaza. There’s a very simple way. Join me in calling for Hamas to surrender. They should surrender right now. They should turn over all of the remaining hostages and they should free the Palestinian people from their control. They have been the governing body in Gaza for over 15 years. They have. Oppressed the Palestinian people. You made you called Israel. You said what Israel is doing defending itself. You said it. They’re committing a genocide in Gaza. Is that what you believe?” Lawler added.
“Do you believe, as some of your colleagues have said, what Israel is doing in Gaza is a genocide?” Phillip asked Bowman.
“It is a mass murder. It is a war crime. What is happening in Gaza right now,” Bowman declared.
Watch the full clip above via CNN.
