Former Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi has faced a wave of criticism. The reason was her interview in which she suggested without evidence that the broad pro-Palestinian movement in the US may have ties to Moscow, The Guardian writes.
Supporters of a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip have criticised former Speaker of the House of Representatives and prominent Democratic Party spokeswoman Nancy Pelosi. The reason was her interview in which she suggested without evidence that pro-Palestinian activists may have ties to Moscow and called on the FBI to investigate their activities, The Guardian reported.
Pelosi’s comment sparked a furious reaction among members of the anti-war movement. They pointed to public opinion surveys that show a large percentage of Democrats support the Gazans and agree with the claim that Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people.
Nihad Awad, director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, called the former speaker’s remarks “baseless slander.” They reminded him of times in US history when “opponents of the Vietnam War were accused of communist sympathies and harassed by the FBI.”
Political analyst Walid Shaheed said Pelosi’s remarks represented “unacceptable misinformation”. “Democrats are most successful when they present a broad coalition, but the party leadership is sabotaging itself by vigorously attacking the majority of its own voters who oppose the war,” he said.
Joe Biden has sided with the Jewish state since the war began and as a result has faced a wave of resistance in the US. In recent weeks, activists have interrupted key events on his campaign trail. In particular, they disrupted the president’s speech in Virginia more than a dozen times, the publication notes.
Moreover, Democrats in Michigan warned the White House that dissatisfaction with Biden’s approach to the war between Israel and Gaza could cost him re-election. Indeed, his stance threatens his support among Arab Americans in the swing state, the article emphasised.
Abdullah Hammoud, the Democratic mayor of Dearborn, a local city with a significant Arab diaspora, shared the results of a November poll that showed broad support for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. “So according to Nancy Pelosi’s comments, 76 percent of Democrats / 49 percent of Republicans / 61 percent of Americans are potentially paid agents of Russia promoting Putin’s message of calling for a ceasefire?” – the politician took umbrage.
Last week, Hammoud joined a group of Arab and Muslim leaders who refused to meet with Biden’s campaign manager to discuss the administration’s approach to the war. “There is total discord in the leadership of the Democratic Party,” the Dearborn mayor stressed.