Nadler: supporting innocent Palestinians doesn’t make you anti-Israel 

Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) argued on Saturday that supporting innocent Palestinians doesn’t make a person anti-Israel amid the ongoing fighting between Israel and Hamas.

“It’s a fairly simple proposition: valuing innocent Palestinians’ lives- as I very much do- obviously doesn’t by itself imply one doesn’t also value innocent Israelis’ lives,” Nadler said in a post on X, formerly Twitter. “But if you can’t denounce Hamas’ attacks last week as terrorism, one can only assume you don’t.”

Fighting between Palestinian militant group Hamas and Israel has dramatically escalated in the past week, with over 3,200 dead in its wake, according to The Associated Press. Many U.S. politicians have publicly backed Israel, including President Biden.

“In this moment we must be crystal clear: We stand with Israel,” Biden said in remarks Tuesday. “And we will make sure Israel has what it needs to take care of its citizens, defend itself and respond to this attack. There’s no justification for terrorism. There’s no excuse.” 

A ground offensive by Israel into Gaza is expected soon, with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) amassing troops at the Gaza border. The offensive could be extremely deadly to civilians in Gaza, according to a press release from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

Francesca Albanese, U.N. Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian Territory occupied since 1967, called for the United Nations to “intensify efforts to mediate an immediate ceasefire between the parties, before we reach a point of no return.”

She continued, “The international community has the responsibility to prevent and protect populations from atrocity crimes. Accountability for international crimes committed by Israeli occupation forces and Hamas must also be immediately pursued.”