In a post Sunday, Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, blamed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for partly being responsible for the killing of the hostages by Hamas.
“My heart breaks for the families of the hostages killed by Hamas,” Weingarten wrote in a post on X. “But I must also be outraged at Prime Minister Netanyahu for his refusal to reach an agreement on a ceasefire and the release of the hostages.”
Hamas terrorists killed six hostages, including Israeli-American Hersh Goldberg Pollin, on Saturday as the Israel Defense Forces launched a rescue operation in tunnels deep underground in the Rafah city in the Gaza Strip.
“Initial assessment is that they were brutally murdered by Hamas terrorists shortly before our arrival,” IDF spokesman Maj. Gen. Daniel Hagari said in a weekend statement.
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In a post Sunday, Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, blamed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for partly being responsible for the killing of the hostages by Hamas. (Getty Images)
Weingarten was responding to a social media post of a statement by U.S. Ambassador to Israel Jack Lew about the murder.
“We are heartbroken and outraged by the news that Hersh Goldberg Pollin and five other hostages have been killed at the hands of Hamas,” Liu wrote. “As President Biden and Secretary of State Blinken stated just now, we will not rest until all hostages are brought home. We grieve with Jon Goldberg Pollin and Rachel Goldberg Pollin and their families, pray that they find comfort, and remain committed to the safe return of all other hostages.”
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Prime Minister Netanyahu vowed that his government would reach an agreement with Hamas to ensure the return of the remaining hostages. (Jacqueline Martin/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Weingarten, a staunch progressive, drew sharp criticism from pro-Israel figures, including former U.S. ambassador to Israel David Friedman, for her post, which listed the terms of the agreement that Netanyahu allegedly violated: He wrote“Bibi may have messed up a lot, but if you can't answer all these questions, your comments are nothing more than insensitive political drivel that will further divide an already-endangered Jewish people.”
Netanyahu has pledged that his administration will conclude an agreement with Hamas to ensure the return of the remaining hostages.
“For our part, we will not make concessions. The government of Israel, and I personally, remain committed to continuing to work toward an agreement that leads to the return of all hostages and guarantees our safety and survival,” Netanyahu said in a statement.
“To the Hamas terrorists who killed the hostages, and to their leaders, I say: you will pay the price. We will not rest, we will not be silent. We will hunt you down, we will find you and we will finish you off,” he also said.
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of The White House acknowledged the murder. Saturday.
Fox News' Hannah Grossman and Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.
