Ritchie Torres slams Harvard student organizations for blaming Israel for violence after Hamas attacks

Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) blasted several student organizations from Harvard University who signed a letter blaming the Israeli government for the violence and death stemming from the Hamas attacks.

Hamas, a terrorist organization that governs Palestine, launched assaults on Israel on the land, air, and sea early Saturday. Over 700 Israelis and nearly 500 Palestinians have been killed since the attacks and Israel’s subsequent declaration of war against Hamas, with several thousand wounded and hundreds of civilians and soldiers captured.

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“Israel is the victim of a terrorist attack. Hamas is the perpetrator. It’s as simple as that. There are no ‘both sides,'” Torres said in a post on X in response to a letter signed by over 30 Harvard student groups.

The organizations wrote that they “hold the Israeli regime entirely responsible for all unfolding events,” saying that millions of Palestinians have been “forced to live in an open-air prison.”

“In the coming days, Palestinians will be forced to bear the full brunt of Israel’s violence. The apartheid regime is the only one to blame, Israeli violence has structured every aspect of Palestinian existence for 75 years,” the groups wrote. “We call on the Harvard community to take action to stop the ongoing annihilation of Palestinians.”

However, Torres said the groups are looking at the wrong group experiencing violence.

“Here you have 30+ student organizations from Harvard University, blaming the victims, Israelis, for their own murder, rape, and abduction, rather than blaming the perpetrator, Hamas, for murdering, raping, and abducting them,” Torres said. “Demonizing Israel — to the point of denying the humanity of Israeli victims and the inhumanity of their perpetrators — is moral confusion masquerading as moral clarity.”

Torres is one of several Democrats who have joined most Republicans in condemning the Hamas attack and expressing full support for Israel’s right to fight back against the militants. Some Democrats, such as “Squad” members Reps. Cori Bush (D-MO) and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), are calling for a broader return to order and peace instead of placing blame on either side.

Tlaib released a statement on the “ongoing violence in Israel and Palestine” on Sunday, echoing similar comments made by the 30 Harvard student organizations and other pro-Palestine groups. She said she is determined to fight for a “just future” where “everyone can live in peace,” calling for an end to the “occupation” in Israel.

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“The path to that future must include lifting the blockade, ending the occupation, and dismantling the apartheid conditions that can lead to resistance,” Tlaib said. “As long as our government provides billions in unconditional funding to support the apartheid government, this heartbreaking cycle of violence will continue.”

President Joe Biden and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin have told Israeli leaders that the United States stands behind Israel and will offer additional aid over the coming days. The death toll of Americans in Israel as a result of the Hamas attacks increased from four to nine, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller confirmed on Monday morning.