Independent presidential candidate Cornel West and his vice presidential choice defended their anti-Israel rhetoric on Thursday night in an effort to court Democratic pro-Palestinian voters.
West’s running mate, Melina Abdullah, said she supports a statement put out by the Black Lives Matter Grassroots on Tuesday, which claimed Israel was to blame for Hamas’s uprising, and claimed the attack on Oct. 7 was an “act of self-defense.”
“I think it’s really important to understand where uprisings come from, even when we may disagree with tactics that are used,” Abdullah told CNN host Abby Phillips. “I find it really troubling that we are constantly asked to condemn Hamas. I’m not a member of Hamas. I find it even more troubling that an entire state has been built on the genocide of a people, and I think that we have to start with that first.”
West, who has called for a permanent ceasefire and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip, also blamed Israel for the war between the Middle Eastern nation and the terrorist organization. H …