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Sanders, AOC push back after Biden voices support for Israel
There is a growing schism in the Democratic Party over the U.S. relationship with Israel as some progressive lawmakers demand that President Biden take a tougher stance against the Israeli government amid an increasingly aggressive confrontation with Palestinian groups.
The divide comes amid the worst violence between Israel and Palestinians since the devastating 2014 war in Gaza. The outbreak began in east Jerusalem when Palestinian protests and clashes with police broke out in response to Israeli police tactics during Ramadan and the threatened eviction of dozens of Palestinian families by Jewish settlers.
Biden condemned the violence and asserted Israel's right to defend itself, eliciting a swift backlash from some members of his own party who wanted the president to address what they viewed as human rights violations by Israeli forces in Gaza.
But progressives weren't happy about Biden's reaction.
"This is happening with the support of the United States," Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said Saturday, tweeting a video of Israel bombing, and destroying, a building that housed media organizations including Al Jazeera and The Associated Press. (Israel contended the buildings contained Hamas cells).
In a New York Times op-ed on Friday, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., similarly urged the White House to speak out against the Israeli government's actions, arguing that U.S. involvement is vital to de-escalation. CLICK HERE FOR MORE ON OUR TOP STORY.
In other developments:
- AOC objects to news site calling her Israel criticism an ‘outburst,’ draws quick backlash
- Bernie Sanders says US should revisit foreign aid to Israel, part of which funds Iron Dome defense system
- Netanyahu calls out the AP after claiming they weren't warned about Israeli airstrike: 'You weren't lucky'
- Israeli strikes kill 26, topple buildings in Gaza City
- Netanyahu says Israel wants to 'degrade' Hamas' will, warns campaign will continue
- AP torched for claiming they were unaware of Hamas intel operation in their building: 'Difficult to believe'
GOP governors say they learned about mask reversal from media, not Biden WH
Republican governors are blasting the Biden administration, claiming it didn't directly inform them about new federal guidance on face masks.
Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts said he found out about the new guidance – declaring it safe for most fully vaccinated Americans to stop wearing masks and end social distancing practices – through news reports, not from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or from President Biden's administration.
"I found out about it in the news, just like the general public did," Ricketts told Fox News in an exclusive interview.
Ricketts compared the lack of communication over the new mask guidance to the confusion surrounding the CDC’s decision to abruptly pause jabs of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine after reports that the vaccine may have resulted in blood clots for a small group of recipients.
New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu said his office also learned about the announcement through the press.
"Due to the inconsistent, convoluted, and ever changing guidance/messaging from President Biden’s CDC, the confusion from businesses and schools across the country is understandable," Sununu told Fox News in a statement. "Here in NH, the state fully phased out restrictions a week ago – so we have already provided businesses with maximum flexibility in how they choose to handle the latest guidance from the CDC." CLICK HERE FOR MORE.
In other developments:
- Fauci defends CDC's roundabout on mask mandates amid confusion from new guidance
- Fauci says pandemic exposed 'undeniable effects of racism' in US
- Fully vaccinated people can ditch masks indoors, physical distancing: CDC
- Jen Psaki insists new guidance on mask-wearing comes from CDC, not Biden
Outrage after social media users discover series of Hitler-praising tweets from CNN freelancer
CNN is under fire for having hired a writer who posted several times on social media that he believes the world needs another "Hitler."
Social media users demanded that the network respond after discovering the tweets from one of its freelance contributors, Adeel Raja, who has written dozens of pieces for the outlet.
After some digging, it turned out to be one of several messages Raja has posted praising the Nazi leader.
"The only reason I am supporting Germany in the finals - Hitler was a German and he did good with those Jews!" Raja wrote during the 2014 FIFA World Cup soccer tournament. Raja last had a CNN byline on Sept. 16, 2020. He still lists his affiliation with the network on LinkedIn.
"Hail Hitler!" he wrote the following day. Twitter users shared screenshots of the messages. CLICK HERE FOR MORE.
In other developments:
- Jewish groups condemn CNN's Don Lemon for remarks suggesting Black and Brown Jews don't exist
- Communist group touts plans to burn Anne Frank's diary, calls her 'bleach demon'
- Ghost guns, Nazi paraphernalia, nearly $1M in meth seized at Pennsylvania home
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TODAY'S MUST-READS:
- Possible new Sanofi-GSK coronavirus vaccine showing promise in trials, companies say
- CHAD PERGRAM: Liz Cheney was just a small piece of GOP's path to win back the majority
- Michigan Gov. Whitmer looking to shut down Enbridge pipeline during national gas shortage
- Nashville gas station trolls Hunter Biden: 'Hope gas prices don't get too high'
- Family of man eyed in 'Whitey' Bulger's death calls for his release from solitary: 'Enough is enough'
- Nebraska police shootout leaves one man dead after he barricaded himself inside a house
THE LATEST FROM FOX BUSINESS:
- BLM co-founder with $3 million mansion says real estate is racist
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- Dave Portnoy’s sex-tape partner Sydney Raines: ‘I have no regrets’
- Bill Gates ‘pursued’ several women in his office during marriage to Melinda: report
- More Americans retiring early to 'enjoy the senior years' after a year of COVID-19
- The not-so-secret sex lives of the world’s richest and most powerful
#TheFlashback: CLICK HERE to find out what happened on "This Day in History."
SOME PARTING WORDS
Dave Portnoy, founder of Barstool Sports and the Barstool Fund, which helps small businesses recover from the pandemic, joined Steve Hilton on Sunday’s "The Next Revolution" and discussed how there’s a ‘disconnect’ between politicians and business owners.
"I think it’s a real problem in politics that they’ve never really worked in the real world," Portnoy said. "They’re lifetime politicians, they don’t know what it’s like to start a business, to put your entire life on hold and live your life for your business 24/7. It’s a disconnect. If politicians understood what it took to keep bars and restaurants open, they would’ve given them money long before the pandemic."
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