AOC explains why she accused Israel of genocide — after being hounded by pro-Palestinian hecklers

 

by Ryan King at nypost.com  

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is defending her speech accusing Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip — two weeks after she was accosted in public by anti-Israel hecklers for her decision not to use the word.

Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) had long been fiercely critical of the Jewish State’s policies toward the Palestinians, but had largely refrained from invoking the term “genocide” directly until last Friday during a speech on the House floor.

Other progressive kindred spirits, including fellow members of the so-called “Squad” had already accused Israel of committing a genocide.

“This word is extremely serious. It’s one that’s taken with extraordinary gravity. And to me the threshold of intent is a high one,” the congresswoman told CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday.

“However, when we look at the precipice of what is happening with a forced famine of 1.1 million Gazans…I believe we have crossed the threshold of intent,” she went on, emphasizing that multiple governments and organizations have accused Israel of hamstringing critical aid to the Palestinians.