New York City mayoral candidate Andrew Yang (D) drew praise from several prominent conservatives after voicing support for Israel and condemning attacks from the Hamas militant group.
Yang condemned the attacks in a tweet Monday, saying New York City “will always stand with our brothers and sisters in Israel who face down terrorism and persevere.”
Notable conservative figures including Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), former Trump administration adviser Stephen Miller and Donald Trump Jr. praised Yang’s support for Israel, with critics on the right blasting Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) and other Democrats who have condemned Israel’s strikes.
Yang sparked backlash from others on Twitter who have criticized Israel’s retaliatory strikes amid the conflict, with reports of dozens of casualties, including among women and children. The hashtag #YangSupportsGenocide trended on the social media platform.
Tensions between Israelis and Palestinians have been rising over the past week after Israeli police clashed with Palestinians worshippers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque as celebrations were taking place during the Muslim holiday of Ramadan.
Airstrikes by both sides have left at least 26 Palestinians and two Israelis dead in the past 48 hours. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said late Tuesday that Hamas and the Islamic jihad “will pay a heavy price” for their actions toward Israeli citizens.