Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has come under fire for implying that some advocates for Palestine might have ties to Russia.
During her appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Pelosi linked calls for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s interests.
She suggested that while many protesters are genuine, a portion could be influenced by Russia, a claim she bases on her extensive experience in observing such matters.
“We have to think about what we’re doing, and what we have to do is try to stop the suffering in Gaza … but for them to call for a ceasefire is Putin’s message,” the former US official said referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin. “Make no mistake, this is directly connected to what he would like to see.”
This statement led to backlash from Nihad Awad, leader of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, who condemned Pelosi’s remarks as unfounded and authoritarian, especially her suggestion for an FBI investigation into the protesters.
Awad criticized the former official for demonizing Palestinian supporters and urged political leaders to focus on the human rights of Palestinians instead of making baseless accusations.
Pelosi’s office responded by affirming her support for peaceful protests and her concerns about foreign interference in American politics, referencing past instances of Russian meddling in U.S. elections.
However, there is no concrete evidence linking Russian involvement to the pro-Palestinian demonstrations.
The U.S. intelligence community has previously reported on Russia’s efforts to influence U.S. politics, including during the 2020 elections, but there is no direct connection to the current protests.
The death toll from the ongoing Israeli aggression on Palestine for the past 114 days has risen to 26,400 martyrs, according to the Ministry of Health in the besieged enclave on Sunday.
The ministry said via the Telegram platform, “The toll of the Israeli aggression has risen to 26,422 martyrs and 65,087 injuries since the 7th of October last year.”
