White House Press Secretary Calls Progressives Calling for Ceasefire ‘Disgraceful’ and ‘Repugnant’ – Michael Arria 10/13/23

Source: Mondoweiss.net

During an October 10th briefing, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre called progressive congress members who have called for a ceasefire in the Middle East “disgraceful” and “repugnant.”

“There have been some members of Congress who have called for a ceasefire, and they have not gone as far as backing the administration’s call for support for Israel,” a reporter told the press secretary.

“So, look, I’ve seen some of those statements this weekend. And we’re going to continue to be very clear: We believe they are wrong, we believe they’re repugnant, and we believe they’re disgraceful,” responded Jean-Pierre.

“Our — our condemnation belongs squarely with terrorists who have brutally murdered, raped, kidnapped hundreds — hundreds of Israelis,” she continued. “There can be no equivocation about that. There are not two sides here. There are not two sides.”

“President Biden has been clear on where he has stood. You heard him — you heard from him directly today. You heard from him also on Saturday on this. There’s been multiple statements from this President. And he’s taking action to provide additional support to ensure that Israel has the — has what they need to defend themselves.”

Virtually every member of Congress has expressed unfettered support for Israel despite the country’s brutal bombing of Gaza. However, some progressive House members have called for an end to the violence and voiced concern for Palestinians currently under fire.

Reps. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) and Cori Bush (D-MO) have faced criticism from pro-Israel groups, Republicans, and members of their own party over their statements. Both lawmakers called for an end to military aid

“I grieve the Palestinian and Israeli lives lost yesterday, today, and every day,” read Tlaib’s statement. “The failure to recognize the violent reality of living under siege, occupation, and apartheid makes no one safer,” she said. “We cannot ignore the humanity in each other. As long as our country provides billions in unconditional funding to support the apartheid government, this heartbreaking cycle of violence will continue.”…

Read More…