Earlier this month, fifteen of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle either voted against or refused to vote on a resolution denouncing Hamas’ attack on Israel and pledging continued support for one of our greatest allies.
As we’ve grown used to over the past several years, there has been no rebuke by House Democratic leadership for the virulent antisemitism within their ranks. Instead, their leadership has remained silent and allowed its members to continue spreading their antisemitic beliefs.
Seventy-eight years after the world first learned the horrors of the Shoah, so-called “progressives” have taken the side of terrorists whose explicit goal is to end the existence of the Jewish state.
Let that sink in. The politicians who claim to be compassionate, who claim to support human rights, who constantly decry “colonialism,” “imperialism,” and “genocide” would rather support a genocidal terrorist organization than stand with our Israeli allies.
For over 15 years, I was an NYPD detective. I saw first hand the harm, pain, and fear that the antisemitic rhetoric spread by House Democrats can cause in our communities. Now, tragically, millions of Americans are seeing this too.
Earlier this week, a student at Cornell was arrested for sending death threats to Jewish students. Similar threats have been levied at synagogues and Jewish communities in New York City.
Every day on Twitter, countless videos are being shared showing Jewish students on American college campuses being bullied and attacked by pro-Hamas protestors. Antisemitic graffiti is popping up in cities across the country, including our nation’s capital. Not since the dark days of the 1930s and 1940s has antisemitic sentiment been so high, so violent, and so public.
This is the environment House Democrats have cultivated. Since 2018, House Democrats have been silent as colleagues like Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Pramila Jayapal have spread antisemitic ideas and Hamas propaganda.
Polling conducted before Hamas’ October attack showed that antisemitic beliefs were rising in the United States — a rise that coincided with far-left antisemitic politicians being elevated to Congress. Despite this, House Democratic leadership has consistently refused to rebuke or punish their members who push antisemitic rhetoric.
In some cases, those members have even been promoted. In all cases, they have received financial and political support from House Democratic leadership.
When I ran for Congress, I promised my constituents that I would work to strengthen our nation’s relationship with Israel and fight rising antisemitism and pro-Hamas sentiment. For me, this mission started before I ever ran for office. After my appointment to the Hempstead Town Council, I passed one of the nation’s first anti-BDS laws, prohibiting town government from doing business with anyone engaged in the BDS movement.
My motivation in doing this was spurred by my experiences as an NYPD detective and the deep conviction I hold that the bond between the United States and Israel must always be protected. Now, my Democratic colleagues back Hamas, denounce Israel, and claim that Israel has no right to self-defense.
In supporting their members who harbor such blatantly antisemitic beliefs, the Democratic Party has become the party of antisemitism.
Internally, Democrats have fostered a safe environment where antisemites and terrorist sympathizers are allowed to thrive. In doing so, Democrats are not only betraying millions of American Jews, they are also betraying the fundamental ideas and values that have made our nation a safe-haven for oppressed peoples the world over. Supporting antisemites like Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, and AOC, isn’t just dangerous, it’s un-American.
Right now, Israel needs our help. Our Jewish-American friends, neighbors, and families need our support. We must, together, seek to expunge the cancer of antisemitism from our schools, communities, and yes — Congress.
The horror of Hamas’ unprovoked attack, the painful memories of the Shoah, and the currently rising threat of violent antisemitism here at home should inspire all of us to stand against this hate. And House Democrats should be ashamed of their complicity in fostering it.
Rep. Anthony D’Esposito, a Republican, has represented New York’s 4th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2023.
The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of the Daily Caller.