World

From condemnation to justification of the massacre: Disparate reactions to the terrorist attacks in Israel

A total of 31 Harvard organizations join many socialist and communist governments that have defended the terrorists despite the massacre. They declare that Israel is "responsible" for the violence.

Terroristas palestinos festejan sus asesinatos por las calles de Gaza.
(Cordon Press)
VERóNICA SILVERI PAZOS
October 9, 2023
5 minutes read

After the attacks by the Hamas terrorist group against Israel, there was an outpour of reaction to the unprecedented massacre. Many Western leaders spoke out against the violence and horror caused by terrorists, while others supported them, and some have so far preferred not to issue any official statement.

Individuals and organizations around the world have also expressed their opinions. A total of 31 groups belonging to Harvard University, including Amnesty International, have blamed Israel for the attack on its own territory, which have already left more than 700 dead.

In what was officially titled "Joint Statement by Harvard Palestine Solidarity Groups on the Situation in Palestine," the organizations say that the terrorist attacks "did not occur in a vacuum" and that they "hold the Israeli regime entirely responsible for all unfolding violence" because "it has forced Palestinians to live in an open-air prison" for "the last two decades."

More demonstrations

On the streets of cities such as New York, the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), along with other leftist and nationalist Pro-Palestinian groups, gathered in Times Square chanting antisemitic slogans. The chants included, "New York City you will see, Palestine will be free."

However, as the hours progressed, also in New York, A pro-Israel group of about 200 people held a counter-demonstration, chanting “shame of you” at the original protesters. According to the New York Post, Both groups came face to face with yelling and insults. The that were controlled by the police. The event saw three people arrested for disturbing public order.

U.S. and Latin America

In the U.S., President Joe Biden publicly declared his support for Israel, offering "all appropriate means of support" necessary after a private conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Vice President Kamala Harris had similar words, assuring that the country's commitment to Israeli security was "unwavering." The nation has already begun to mobilize ships and aircraft to the coast of Israel to provide military support after the attacks.

Nayib Bukele, president of El Salvador, published a statement on X, formerly Twitter, stating that "as a Salvadoran with Palestinian ancestry," he strongly condemns the attack. He added that "the best thing that could happen to the Palestinian people is for Hamas to completely disappear":

As a Salvadoran with Palestinian ancestry, I'm sure the best thing that could happen to the Palestinian people is for Hamas to completely disappear. Those savage beasts do not represent the Palestinians. Anyone who supports the Palestinian cause would make a great mistake siding with those criminals. It would be like if Salvadorans would have sided with MS13 terrorists, just because we share ancestors or nationality. The best thing that happened to us as a nation was to get rid of those rapists and murderers, and let the good people thrive. Palestinians should do the same: get rid of those animals and let the good people thrive. That's the only way forward.

The same opinion was shared by Argentinian President Alberto Fernández and Brazilian President Lula da Silva, who both condemned the terrorist attacks. However, this statement was not shared by the majority of their Latin American peers.

Argentina's presidential candidate, Javier Milei, used part of his speech in an election debate to declare his "solidarity with Israel and its full right to defend its territory from terrorists."

Gustavo Petro, president of Colombia, reacted to the events on X (formerly Twitter) by sharing anti-Israeli and pro-terrorist posts. Petro, a former guerrilla from the ELN group, even shared a post claiming that "Israel has been committing apartheid and genocide against the Palestinian people for 75 years."

On the other hand, Gabriel Boric, president of Chile, has reposted messages on social media where he appears to support Palestinians. But these sentiments are not new, as the Chilean president has refused to receive the Israeli ambassador in his country, which was publicly applauded by Hamas.

Nicolás Maduro, dictator of Venezuela, spoke out in favor of Hamas terrorism. Reposting an official statement from the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America - People's Trade Treaty (ALBA TPC), which declares support and solidarity "with the Palestinian people."

Miguel Díaz-Canel in Cuba expressed disapproval of what, according to his government, is a "permanent violation of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people."

On the other hand, Evo Morales, former president of Bolivia, openly spoke out in favor of the terrorists, saying that "solidarity between peoples is the basis of a more just and dignified society."

Furthermore, the current Bolivian government, headed by Luis Arce, released an ambiguous statement in which it does not openly condemn the terrorists and calls for "de-escalation of violence."

Europe and rest of the world

This new war against Israel has not gone unnoticed in other parts of the world. The Spanish Embassy in Israel, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell, European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen; U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak; Hungarian Prime Minister Orbán Viktor and French President Emmanuel Macron all posted on X (formerly Twitter) to condemn the attack.

Both Russia and Ukraine have also spoken out about the conflict. Moscow assured it would be "in contact with all parties," according to the Russian state-supported Tass agency.

President Volodymyr Zelensky spoke on behalf of Ukraine. The president supported Israel's right to defend itself and said he was sure that the terrorists would ultimately be defeated.

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