Democratic Rep. Ritchie Torres has condemned fellow Congresswoman Ilhan Omar's statements on Israel and accused New York Magazine of using the wrong photo in an article targeting him for his pro-Israel stance.
Democratic Rep. Ritchie Torres of New York has launched a two-pronged attack against fellow Democrat Ilhan Omar and New York Magazine, accusing them of anti-Israel bias and a photo blunder, respectively.
Torres' criticism of Omar stems from her recent comments on the conflict between Israel and Gaza. In an interview with CNN, Torres said that Omar's rhetoric is "harmful" and "disingenuous." He argued that Omar's characterization of Israel as an "apartheid state" is inaccurate and undermines efforts to achieve a two-state solution.
Torres Criticizes Omar for Rhetoric on Israel, Calls Out New York Magazine for Photo Error
Torres also took aim at New York Magazine for publishing an article that criticized his pro-Israel views. The article, written by Sarah Jones, accused Torres of abandoning the progressive movement in favor of supporting Israel. However, Torres blasted the article for using a photo of Democratic New York Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado instead of himself.
"If New York Magazine is going to publish an Anti-Israel hit piece by Sarah Jones, then at least do enough due diligence to get the photo right. I am not Antonio Delgado," Torres wrote on Twitter.
Torres Criticizes Omar for Rhetoric on Israel, Calls Out New York Magazine for Photo Error
Torres' criticism of the photo error went viral, prompting New York Magazine to update the article with a corrected image and an editor's note acknowledging the mistake.
Torres' public rebuke of Omar and New York Magazine is consistent with his growing reputation as a vocal supporter of Israel. He has emerged as one of the most prominent pro-Israel voices in the Democratic Party, along with Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania.
Torres Criticizes Omar for Rhetoric on Israel, Calls Out New York Magazine for Photo Error
Torres and Fetterman have been critical of the progressive movement's stance on Israel, arguing that it is too sympathetic to the Palestinian cause and fails to take sufficient account of Israel's security concerns.
"The progressive movement didn't leave me: He left it, if indeed he was ever fully part of it, by making a series of deliberate choices. One such choice is to support Israel despite the unbelievable brutality it has inflicted on Palestinians in Gaza," Jones wrote in her New York Magazine article.
Torres Criticizes Omar for Rhetoric on Israel, Calls Out New York Magazine for Photo Error
Torres has rejected this characterization, arguing that he has always been a Zionist and that his support for Israel is based on his belief in its right to exist as a Jewish state.
"I didn't leave the progressive movement; the progressive movement left me," Torres recently said. "Progressives were historically supportive of Israel, but in recent years there's been a shift in the movement towards a more critical view of Israel."
Torres' pro-Israel stance has drawn criticism from some in the Democratic Party, but it has also earned him support from Jewish organizations and other pro-Israel groups.
