Democratic Congressman Ritchie Torres of New York condemned Israel's alleged precision strikes against Hezbollah operatives this week, but blasted the “selective outrage” of those who ignore the fact that the Lebanese terror group has been carrying out indiscriminate attacks against the Jewish state over the past year on a near-daily basis.
In a social media post on Thursday, New York Rep. Ritchie Torres strongly condemned the “selective indignation” of those who fail to acknowledge Hezbollah's role in the escalation of violence and instead focus only on Israel's sabotage of Hezbollah's communications equipment.
Torres, who represents New York's 15th Congressional District and left the Progressive Caucus in February over its members' outlandish criticism of Israel, argued that condemning Israel's legitimate military actions while remaining silent about Hezbollah aggression undermines the pursuit of peace.
“You are stubbornly opposed to Israel's right to defend itself against the most heavily armed terrorist organization in the world,” he argued, underscoring the seriousness of Hezbollah's attacks.
Since the conflict began, Hezbollah has fired thousands of rockets into Israel, causing widespread displacement and destruction.
“Why are you outraged that Israel carried out precision strikes against terrorists, yet silent about the firing of more than 8,000 rockets at Israel, the displacement of 100,000 Israelis from their homes, and the killing of 12 Druze children in relentless rocket attacks?” Torres asked, highlighting the one-sided criticism of Israel's military actions.
Memorial at the site where a Hezbollah rocket killed 12 Israeli Druze Arab children playing soccer
Joel B. Pollack/Breitbart News
Last month, Torres, a long-time supporter of Israel's right to self-defense, Criticized It warned several airlines that had suspended flights to Israel, saying they were effectively boycotting the country.
The issue arose following reports of Israel's response to the relentless attacks by Iranian proxies on Israeli civilians over the past year, according to Breitbart News. ReportedCommunications devices believed to be belonging to Hezbollah officials exploded across Lebanon on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Israel is currently in the midst of efforts to dismantle Hamas in the Gaza Strip following the terrorist group's October 7 attack, the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust, which killed nearly 1,200 people, most of them Israelis. Injured More than 4,800 people were killed and 241 hostages were taken, more than half of whom remain in Gaza. The majority of the victims were civilians. include Dozens of American citizens.
The following day, on October 8, Hezbollah fired guided rockets and artillery shells at Israel in retaliation for the war between Israel and Hamas that began the previous day. Since then, clashes between Israel and Hezbollah have intensified, significantly escalating tensions in the region, with gun battles across the Lebanese-Israeli border causing large-scale displacement and raising fears that a major clash between the Iranian-backed terror group and the Jewish state is imminent.
Hezbollah, a Lebanese Shiite Islamist political party and terrorist organization, has significant influence in Lebanon, effectively shaping the country's political and security environment, and is often recognized as a state within a state. The organization's military capabilities have grown significantly, at times exceeding those of the Lebanese Army. With Iranian support and political backing from Syria, the organization has expanded its activities beyond Lebanon, particularly participating in the Syrian civil war alongside the Assad regime.
Hezbollah, which actively seeks to expand its influence beyond the Middle East, has been designated a terrorist organization by more than a dozen countries and international organizations, including major Western countries, most European Union member states, and most Arab League member states, for its involvement in terrorist activities targeting the United States, France, Israel and other countries.
As a result, it has become a major security concern for Israel and has put it at odds with the U.S. In 1983, Hezbollah bombed the Marine Barracks in Beirut, Lebanon, killing 241 U.S. soldiers, one of the deadliest attacks against the United States before 9/11.
At a White House event in 2018 marking the 35th anniversary of the attack, then-President Donald Trump said: stated “Other than al Qaeda, no other terrorist group has shed so much American blood.”
Joshua Klein is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at jklein@breitbart.com. Follow him on Twitter. Joshua Klein.
