Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.), one of the staunchest Israel supporters in Congress, criticized liberal writer Peter Beinart’s New York Times op-ed titled “Democrats ignored Gaza and brought down their party.”
“Peter Beinart has an op-ed claiming that outrage among young black Americans against Israel is one of the causes of Democratic defeat in the 2024 election,” Torres wrote. “Beware of white progressives, who project their own ideological biases onto working-class communities of color.”
“Here’s the ground-level truth. If you’re a young man of color struggling to pay your rent, put food on the table and keep your family afloat, the furthest issue on your mind is a conflict 5,000 miles away,” Torres wrote. “The existential issue for you is inflation. The crippling cost of living is the cause of your discontent. Anyone claiming otherwise is representing their own ideological imagination rather than reality.”
“The far left seems to have a simple rule of scapegoating: When in doubt, blame Israel,” he added.
