The ongoing Israel-Hamas war has proven a polarizing issue, with people so thoroughly divided that acts of violence have occurred. Over the weekend in Burlington, Vermont, three young men of Palestinian descent were injured in a shooting, possibly because of their ethnicity. Representative Jared Moskowitz (D-FL), a staunch supporter of Israel, offered his sympathy on X (formerly Twitter), saying "Hate has no place in America."
"I am extremely disturbed to learn of the shooting of 3 college students of Palestinian descent in Burlington, Vermont. Hate has no place in America. This senseless tragedy must be investigated, and I am thinking of these students and their families during this time," Rep. Moskowitz tweeted.
I am extremely disturbed to learn of the shooting of 3 college students of Palestinian descent in Burlington, Vermont. Hate has no place in America. This senseless tragedy must be investigated, and I am thinking of these students and their families during this time.
— Congressman Jared Moskowitz (@RepMoskowitz) November 27, 2023
CNN gave further details about the incident and its victims, Hisham Awartani, Kinnan Abdel Hamid, and Tasheen Ahmed, who were suddenly shot in Burlington without prior warning or demands for money, meaning this was not a robbery gone wrong. Additionally, two of the three were wearing keffiyehs, the traditional Palestinian scarf. Two were shot in the chest and the third in the "lower extremities," though thankfully, two are currently stable. Regardless, civil rights groups are demanding investigations into what was likely a hate crime.
As mentioned, this incident further demonstrates how polarizing the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas has become in the United States, but also within the Democratic Party.
While nobody expected Rep. Moskowitz to condone the shooting, his strong support of Israel has put him at odds with the far-left "Squad" in his Party, who are ardently pro-Palestine.
In October, Moskowitz threw shade against Representative Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) by raising an Israeli flag outside his office in contrast to Rep. Tlaib's Palestinian one, likely in response to her apparent justification of the October 7th attack perpetrated by Hamas.
Later, he similarly condemned antisemitism in both parties during a House Oversight hearing, especially when neither party was willing to call it out among their own.
"No, but it is much harder to do it when it’s within your own ranks. Much harder within your own ranks. That’s when we see the silence," said Moskowitz.
Early in November, Moskowitz was among the 22 Democrats willing to censure Rep. Tlaib for her usage of the antisemitic "from the river to the sea" Palestine chant and continued insistence the Gaza hospital explosion was from an Israeli airstrike.
