Blaming Israel for Hamas Attacks Sparks Backlash Across U.S., Exposing Deep Rifts – WSJ

Across U.S. universities, workplaces and halls of power, a swift backlash is meeting those who denounce Israel in the wake of Hamas s deadly attack on Saturday.

On social media and beyond, some groups and individuals sympathetic to the Palestinian cause effectively placed blame for the attack on Israel, alleging that the nation s policies have left Palestinians little choice but to lash out with violence. Some of that commentary came over the weekend, as reports of atrocities committed by Hamas were beginning to emerge.

Many of those statements have since been met with fierce resistance from a variety of voices, including Jewish groups and university heads. Some corporate leaders have also entered the fray, with some threatening not to hire students who blamed Israel for the attack.

That pushback has prompted some progressive politicians and left-leaning student organizations to walk back statements blaming the Jewish state for the violence that began over the weekend or remove their names from petitions condemning Israel.

The tension has ensnared the likes of Harvard President Claudine Gay, U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and college students who faulted Israel for creating the conditions that they said led to the attacks. 

via www.wsj.com