New York Democrat Slams Pro-Palestinian Student Groups Blaming Israel For Hamas Attack: ‘That Letter Was An Embarrassment’

Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) blasted those on the left who have blamed Israel for the devastating attack perpetrated by Hamas on Saturday that killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians.

Torres joined Stephanie Ruhle on Tuesday night to discuss the U.S. response to the attack. Ruhle noted that “a collection of student groups at Harvard University released a letter blaming Israel for the violence there, saying the events did not occur in a vacuum. This has led to a strong backlash from alumni, faculty, and some U.S. lawmakers.”

“One of those lawmakers who spoke up joins us tonight, Democratic congressman of New York, Ritchie Torres. Congressman, what was your reaction when you saw that letter?” Ruhle asked.

“The letter was an embarrassment. Now we should live in a world where barbaric acts of terrorism are universally condemned. Without equivocation, without hesitation, without obfuscation,” Torres replied, adding:

No one should glorify the terrorism of Hamas’s resistance. No one should blame the victim. No one should empathize with Hamas perpetrators who murder babies. And no one should refer to Hamas murderers as militants. You know, if you are raping and abducting and murdering and wounding Israelis, you’re not a militant. You’re a terrorist. And no one ever referred to the 9/11 attackers as militants. And if the murder of babies do not qualify as terrorism, then I’m not sure what qualifies as terrorism.

“When two members of your own party released statements critical of Israel, you called those remarks reprehensible and repulsive. Have you spoken to either of them since?” Ruhle followed up, referring to Reps. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) and Cori Bush (D-MO).

“I have not spoken to either one of them, but I would make a simple point if I were speaking to you who lost a child. Right. I could not imagine anyone anything more indecent, more callous, more cruel than saying it’s your fault,” Torres replied, adding:

You brought it upon yourself. For me, it’s not about politics. It’s about human decency. And we should be expressing condolences to Israeli victims. We should be showing support and solidarity. We should be condemning in no uncertain terms the barbarity and the savagery of Hamas. There’s no need to politicize. There’s no need to psychoanalyze the feelings of Hamas. I’m no more interested in a psychoanalysis of Hamas than I am interested in a psychoanalysis of ISIS or al Qaeda. These are terrorist organizations that have to be held accountable, that should be brought to justice and that should be driven from power.

Ruhle then asked Torres about President Joe Biden’s strong declaration of standing with Israel and his own past visits to Israel.

“You know, I’ve visited the civilian communities along the border with Gaza. I’ve met with families who live under the terror of relentless rocket fire and home invasions. I’ve seen the children who have been profoundly shaken by post-traumatic stress,” Torres noted, adding:

And I’ve been inside those homes that can turn into a war zone in the blink of an eye. And so I ask the world to have empathy for the plight of Israelis who are facing a level of insecurity that most of us will never know here in the United States. Israel is surrounded by hostile forces. We’re surrounded by allies like Mexico and Canada. And so before we judge, we should have empathy for the security situation, for the plight of the Israeli people.

Watch the full clip above via MSNBC.