On December 24, on Christmas Eve and Christmas, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio Cortez (D-NY) made a controversial post on her Instagram account, which went viral and attracted responses. The progressive took advantage of her defense to refer to the war between Israel and Hamas, arguing that "right-wing forces are violently occupying Bethlehem."
AOC happens to be one of the most critical voices in Congress against Israel, usually speaking in favor of a Palestinian state and criticizing the actions of Benjamin Netanyahu, who visited the Gaza Strip on Monday and spoke with Israeli soldiers there.
For example, she recently joined 22 other colleagues in signing a letter expressing an initial condemnation of Hamas attacks. However, she later added: "We also share dire concerns with the ongoing Israeli response, in which the Israeli Defense Forces have killed over 11,078 Palestinians, nearly half of whom have been children."
AOC describes Israel as a ‘violent right wing occupying force’ in Christmas post. No mention of Hamas terror, the victims of Oct. 7 attack. pic.twitter.com/oajJnYLAOF
— Jacob N. Kornbluh (@jacobkornbluh) December 24, 2023
"Right-wing forces violently occupy Bethlehem"
Regarding the publication on social media, Ocasio Cortez expressed herself about the origins of Christmas, although slipping some criticism of Israel in the process.
"In the story of Christmas, Christ was born in modern-day Palestine under the threat of a government engaged in a massacre of innocents. He was part of a targeted population being indiscriminately killed to protect an unjust leader's power," the progressive began, referring to the Jews who lived more than 2,000 years ago under Roman control.
Back in the present, AOC criticized the current situation in the Middle East, although referring only to Israel and leaving aside the terrorist group that started the war on October 7.
"Thousands of years later, right-wing forces are violently occupying Bethlehem as similar stories unfold for today's Palestinians, so much so that the Christian community in Bethlehem has canceled this year's Christmas Eve celebrations out of both [fear for their] safety and respect," she continued.
"The entire story of Christmas and Christ himself is about standing with the poor and powerless, the marginalized and maligned, the refugees and immigrants, the outcast and misunderstood without exception," concluded the Democratic congresswoman, perhaps the most important member of the legislative group known as The Squad.
"A political statement"
The reactions to AOC's Instagram post didn't take long to appear. For example, as The New York Post reported, activist Andrea Karshan lamented that some people use Christmas to engage in politics and become "so social justice political about it."
In turn, theologian Jonathan Morris told Fox News that the entire decision amounted to "a political statement overtaking something that we Christians and that Christians of Bethlehem consider to be so sacred."
Finally, Jacob Kornbluh, political reporter for The Forward, responded directly on X, where he highlighted that AOC did not make any mention against Hamas or the victims of October 7, when the terrorist group massacred Israelis and started the war.
