New York City mayoral candidate Andrew Yang is backtracking on comments he made in support of Israel related to the latest flare-up between the country and Gaza.
Yang, 46, issued a statement on social media Wednesday morning acknowledging that “many” of his campaign volunteers were “upset” with his tweet, which he characterized as one “expressing solidarity with the people of Israel in conjunction with the violence in the region.”
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Israel and Hamas, a U.S.-designated foreign terrorist organization, have exchanged rocket fire over the past couple of days, which resulted in at least 48 deaths in Gaza, including 14 children, and six people in Israel, according to an Associated Press report citing Israeli and Palestinian officials.
— Andrew Yang???? (@AndrewYang) May 12, 2021
This flare-up, which escalated to rocket fire on Monday, first began with conflicting claims over which religious group should control Jerusalem. In particular, some Palestinian families are facing evictions in East Jerusalem.
The entrepreneur-turned-politician said on Monday that he was “standing with the people of Israel who are coming under bombardment attacks, and condemn the Hamas terrorists. The people of NYC will always stand with our brothers and sisters in Israel who face down terrorism and persevere.”
In his new statement, Yang said the people that expressed disappointment with his original tweet and argued that his original comments were “overly simplistic” given the “long and complex history full of tragedies,” and he said he agreed with their summation.
I’m standing with the people of Israel who are coming under bombardment attacks, and condemn the Hamas terrorists. The people of NYC will always stand with our brothers and sisters in Israel who face down terrorism and persevere.
— Andrew Yang???? (@AndrewYang) May 10, 2021
“I mourn for every Palestinian life taken before its time as I do for every Israeli. Suffering and pain and violence and death suffered by anyone hurts us all,” he said in the walk-back. “Support of a people does not make one blind to the pain and suffering of others. Again, most everyone simply wants to be able to live and pray in peace.”
Yang’s initial comments were not well received by liberals, though he garnered praise from some conservatives.
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“Utterly shameful for Yang to try to show up to an Eid event after sending out a chest-thumping statement of support for a strike killing 9 children,” Democratic New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said on social media. “But then to try that in Astoria? During Ramadan?! They will let you know.”
A Muslim group in Queens disinvited Yang from a Ramadan event on Tuesday over the initial comment, according to NY1.
