From the Liveblog of
Thursday, November 16, 2023
Number of Democrats backing Gaza ceasefire climbs from 13 to 24 in one month
Jacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US bureau chief
The number of progressive Democrats in the US House of Representatives calling for a ceasefire has nearly doubled over the past month.
Twenty-four lawmakers signed on to a statement yesterday organized by Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Betty McCollum and Mark Pocan, which calls for a ceasefire, expresses alarm over “grave violations against children” in Gaza and warns that the Israel-Hamas war risks “dragging the US into dangerous and unwise conflict with armed groups across the region.”
Thousands of Palestinian children have been killed in Gaza.
As the Israeli govt continues to attack schools & hospitals, thousands more are at risk.
We're pressing the Biden Administration for a #CeasefireNOW to protect children & save lives. pic.twitter.com/8qiK987HPU
— Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (@RepPressley) November 15, 2023
The letter expresses the lawmakers’ unequivocal condemnation of the October 7 massacre perpetrated by Hamas but does not mention the terror group’s continued use of human shields and firing of rockets at Israel. It condemns the hostage taking on October 7 but does not expressly call for the release of the roughly 240 people held captive in Gaza.
On October 16, the number of House progressives who signed on to a resolution calling for a ceasefire was just 13.
The list of Democrats signing on to such statements remains confined to the far-left flank of the party, which has long been critical of Israel’s policies against the Palestinians.
