USA lawmakers horrified at footage from Hamas bloodbath
Screenings of recordings from the October 7 bloodbath have taken place at Capitol Hill (via Israel National News), and Congress members who viewed it were left horror-stricken:
House lawmakers were stunned into shock and disbelief by a screening on Capitol Hill of footage of Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7.Since they mention Ocasio-Cortez, a Democrat who's been siding with the Islamists, one must wonder what she thinks, after all the trouble she's caused Israel by extension in her own way, of the footage gathered from that repulsive moment in recent history. She and others of her positions owe a serious apology for even associating with antisemites.
The roughly 45-minute video assembled by the Israeli government — versions of which have been shown to international media, diplomats and lawmakers, among others — includes graphic footage of Hamas murders and atrocities, some of it pulled from the group’s own body cameras.
Lawmakers left the screening largely in grave silence, visibly shaken, several of them openly crying and comforting one another. One lawmaker, Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-WA), left the screening in tears less than five minutes after entering.
The screening was attended by a packed audience of lawmakers, including some such as Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Greg Casar (D-TX), who are supporting a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) attended for a few minutes. The screening was organized by the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
“How anyone could call for a cease-fire after watching that — they’re not understanding what is actually happening,” Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY), who traveled to Israel over the weekend, told Jewish Insider as he came out of the screening.
Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI) told JI she was “absolutely gutted.”That's a very accurate way of putting it. This is a modern form of Holocaust.
“Seeing the video footage of people celebrating the killing of Jews shows what we’re up against. And the fact that anybody would encourage or condone what Hamas did that day. It’s outrageous,” Stevens said. “It’s unbelievable seeing footage like that in the year 2023, in places we’ve all been.”
Disbelief was a common response from lawmakers.
“It’s obviously horrific and gruesome and it’s hard to believe that in the year 2023 things like this are still happening, but unfortunately they are,” Rep. Sara Jacobs (D-CA) said.
Multiple lawmakers compared the footage to the Holocaust.
“I’m feeling like I felt when I went to Birkenau,” Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) said, shaking his head in disbelief. “It’s just war crimes. Unbelievable.”Anybody who dares call for a ceasefire after this abomination should be soundly condemned and ostracized. It goes without saying that many of the antisemites supporting these horrors are without a single doubt the same people who supported the 9-11 attack on the World Trade Center 22 years ago, and the same ones who support the Islamic Ottoman empire's bloodbath of Armenians during the 1st world war in 1914-18. It never stops at just antisemitism, never has, and never will. That's something all concerned must consider.
Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA) responded simply, “Never again.”
Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) said he had seen similar footage on social media as the attack unfolded.
“I feel the same way I felt watching what occurred on social media,” Donalds said. “Israel must do everything it needs to do to obliterate Hamas. Period.”
Rep. Kathy Manning (D-NC), who exited the screening visibly upset, said at an event shortly after the screening, “I think it’s important to see and to make sure that our colleagues see because there should be no mistake about what Hamas is.”
Labels: anti-semitism, dhimmitude, islam, Israel, jihad, military, misogyny, sexual violence, terrorism, United States, US Congress, war on terror
