New York Governor Kathy Hochul issued an apology on Friday for her remarks made at a Jewish charity event in New York City, which suggested Israel had justification to destroy Gaza.
During her speech on Thursday at an event for the United Jewish Appeal Federation of New York, Hochul stated, “If Canada ever attacked Buffalo, I’m sorry my friends, there would be no Canada the next day.”
She continued, “It’s a natural reaction. You have the right to defend yourself and ensure it never happens again. That’s Israel’s right,” referencing the attack by Hamas on towns around Gaza on October 7th.
On Friday, Hochul, in a statement reported by Reuters and cited by the New York Times, regretted the “inappropriate analogy” and apologized for her “poor choice of words.” She emphasized, “While I have been clear in my support for Israel’s right to self-defense, I have repeatedly and still believe that civilian casualties should be avoided and that more humanitarian aid needs to be sent to the people of Gaza.”
The Hamas attack, termed as ‘Al-Aqsa Flood’, led to 1,200 deaths according to Israeli statistics. The subsequent military operations and Israeli strikes have razed much of the densely populated enclave to the ground, displacing nearly all its residents.
The humanitarian crisis has left over two million Gaza residents on the brink of starvation. According to the Gaza Health Ministry, nearly 29,000 people were killed in the Israeli attack. The United Nations has called for a ceasefire on humanitarian grounds, opposed by the United States, arguing it would allow Hamas to regroup.
The conflict has also impacted the American community, with human rights advocates noting an increase in anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, and anti-Arab bias in the United States since the war began.
