ST.LOUIS – Some members of the St. Louis Jewish community are expressing outrage over Congresswoman Cori Bush’s response to the attack on Israel and Israel’s efforts to destroy Hamas.
In a recent social media post, Rep. Bush referred to Israel’s response as an ethnic cleansing campaign.
“What Israel is doing at this time is an appropriate and proportionate response in war to eliminating terrorists that exist on its border,” said Brian Herstig, president and CEO of the Jewish Federation of St. Louis.
He said Bush’s words fan the flames of antisemitism and come at a time when some members of the Jewish community are already living in fear.
A letter signed by several members of the Jewish community calls on Rep. Bush to apologize. They feel the congresswoman has been too silent about Hamas’s terrorism.
“We were attacked,” said Herstig. “3,000 armed terrorists came by land, by sea, and by air, specifically targeted civilians.”
A spokesperson for Rep. Bush released the following statement:
Congresswoman Bush and our team are aware of the open letter, and we continue to be in direct communication with the organizations who spearheaded this letter. The Congresswoman continues to mourn the immense loss of life as a result of the ongoing violence in Israel and Palestine. She has repeatedly denounced the horrific attacks and hostage-taking by Hamas and continues to condemn any and all forms of bigotry and hate, including antisemitism and Islamophobia. The Congresswoman’s advocacy continues her long track record as a champion of universal human rights for all people, regardless of faith, nationality, or ethnicity. While there are characterizations within this letter that are unfair and simply untrue, we recognize that our Jewish neighbors are justifiably feeling frightened amid the horrific global rise of antisemitism. The Congresswoman is and will always be committed to continuing to work with all members of our beloved St. Louis Jewish community to ensure their safety, and well-being, and the dignity, safety and well-being of all people in St. Louis and around the world.
