Megan Romer, co-chair of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), is facing widespread condemnation after saying in a recent interview that Hamas’ October 7, 2023 massacre in Israel was “largely inevitable” and indicating that she likely would have attended a pro-Hamas rally held the day after the attack.

During an interview with The New Yorker‘s David Remnick, Romer was asked about Democratic socialist Darializa Avila Chevalier, who took part in an anti-Israel, pro-Hamas demonstration in New York City on October 8, 2023. Remnick asked whether Romer would have attended the rally herself had she been in New York.

“You would have gone to that rally, had you been able?” Remnick asked.

“That’s a good question. I probably would have,” Romer replied. “Yeah, yeah. I don’t live in New York City, so I wouldn’t have —”

Remnick then questioned whether she was comfortable supporting such a demonstration immediately after Hamas’ attack on Israel.

“One day after the slaughter of 1,200 people and taking of over 200 hostages, you would have come and rallied behind Hamas?”

“I think that Oct. 7 was largely inevitable,” she replied. “If you put people in an open-air concentration camp and you deprive them of rights, of dignity, of food, of the ability to live in safety, you have to expect that they are going to not take that for that long. And that is not defending any harm of civilians or of non-combatants —”

When Remnick suggested that her comments amounted to support for the attack, Romer rejected that characterization.

“I’m saying that I think it was inevitable.”

Her remarks immediately drew condemnation from several pro-Israel organizations.

“I agree with DSA Co-chair Megan Romer that the October 7 attacks were in many ways inevitable — but not for the libelous reasons she cited,” Zionist Organization of America National President Morton A. Klein told Fox News Digital.

“When Gazans elected Hamas – a terror organization whose charter calls for murdering every Jew and destroying Israel, October 7 was the result,” he added. “When Qatar and Iran gave arms and hundreds of millions of dollars to Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, gave sanctuary to Hamas leaders, and helped terror groups plan attacks on Israel, October 7 was the result.”

Klein continued by arguing that a number of additional factors contributed to the attack.

“When UNRWA (UN Relief and Works Agency) teaches children to hate and murder Jews, employs Hamas terrorists as teachers and principals, stores weapons for Hamas, and provides communications centers for Hamas, October 7 is the result. When Israel, under pressure from the Biden administration, issued thousands of work permits to enter Israel to Hamas terrorists and scouts, October 7 was the result,” he continued.

He warned that Israel must take steps to prevent a similar attack from happening again.

“And now, when Hamas is refusing to really disarm, and is vowing to commit more and more October 7ths, we must enable Israel to ensure its safety by retaining a buffer zone in Gaza and insisting on Hamas’ disarmament prior to any other peace plan steps,” he said. “Or else another October 7 will be the result. Regarding Romer’s lies, the parties ‘imprisoning’ Gaza are Hamas, PIJ and other terror groups. By contrast, Israel facilitated tons of food, water, medical and other supplies into Gaza — while Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad launched 30,000 rockets at Israeli civilians.”

The Anti-Defamation League also criticized Romer’s comments, directing Fox News Digital to a series of posts it published on X condemning the interview.

“What she said and doubled down on in this interview should concern every American. Because this kind of hateful and demonizing rhetoric against the only Jewish state in the world goes well beyond criticism of a government or its policies, and it puts every Jewish American at risk,” the ADL tweeted on its official account.

The organization specifically objected to Romer’s remarks about the rally and the October 7 massacre.

“Romer shamelessly said she ‘probably would have’ attended the pro-Hamas rally held in NYC on 10/8/23, just one day after Hamas murdered more than 1,200 people and kidnapped 251 hostages, including babies, children, young women, mothers, and elderly people. She also called the Hamas-led October 7 massacre a mere ‘revolt’ and ‘largely inevitable.’ There is no justification for rape, kidnapping, torture, and slaughter.”

The ADL concluded its statement by linking to an entry in its database about the Democratic Socialists of America, arguing that the organization’s growing influence extends well beyond the political fringe.

“DSA now has over 120,000 members and 250+ elected officials across 40 states in the U.S. Radical groups like DSA are no longer on the fringes of society, they have infiltrated mainstream politics and have the ability to impact laws and policies affecting everyone.”

Rabbi Yaakov Menken, executive vice president of the Coalition for Jewish Values, also sharply criticized Romer’s comments, calling the DSA “objectively antisemitic.”

“She used a mythological inversion of reality to justify both a murderous pogrom and an ongoing plan of starvation, torture, rape, and murder,” Menken said.

{Matzav.com}