Columnist Criticizes US-Based Figures for 'Genocide Hypocrisy'
Victor Davis Hanson argues that critics of Israel, including public figures like Zohran Mamdani, Ilhan Omar, and Hasan Piker, often overlook or remain silent on human rights issues in their own or their families' countries of origin.
Columnist Victor Davis Hanson has criticized prominent figures in the United States who have voiced accusations of "genocide" against Israel, arguing that these individuals often exhibit hypocrisy by remaining silent on human rights issues in their homelands. Hanson specifically calls out Zohran Mamdani, the mayor of New York City, as well as U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) and podcaster Hasan Piker.
Hanson contends that these figures, many of whom are immigrants or children of immigrants, have been quick to label Israel's actions as genocidal, colonial, or apartheid since the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023. He suggests that these charges are often directed at Israel and the United States while ignoring historical or ongoing human rights abuses in countries like Turkey, Somalia, and Uganda.
According to Hanson, Hasan Piker, a Turkish-American, has made disparaging remarks about the U.S. and expressed anti-Semitic views, yet has largely remained silent on Turkey's historical actions, including the 1974 invasion of Cyprus and the denial of the Armenian genocide. Hanson also points to Piker's alleged dismissal of concerns from Armenian-Americans.
Representative Ilhan Omar, who immigrated from Somalia, is described by Hanson as frequently accusing Israel of war crimes and apartheid. Hanson contrasts this with Omar's background, noting her father's alleged role in the regime of Somali dictator Siad Barre, which he claims was responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of civilians during a clan-based conflict.
Zohran Mamdani, described as the mayor of New York City and a dual citizen of Uganda, is also a focal point of Hanson's criticism. Hanson alleges that Mamdani uses rhetoric critical of American foreign policy and capitalism, while also threatening to jail Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Hanson suggests that Mamdani's accusations of "settler-colonialism" and "apartheid" could more accurately be applied to the economic dominance of the Indian community in Uganda, a group he states was established by British imperialists.
Hanson concludes by urging these public figures to examine the histories of their own countries of origin before leveling accusations against Israel or the United States, suggesting they are "privileged ingrates" projecting the sins of their homelands onto others. The article asserts that the initial Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, resulted in the deaths of 1,200 people, primarily civilians, and involved the taking of 251 hostages.