Co-chair of Democratic Socialists of America defends rallying for Hamas

Megan Romer, co-chair of the Democratic Socialists of America, defended rallying for Hamas and disputed Israel's right to self-defense in a New Yorker interview. She called the October 7 attack 'largely inevitable' and refused to condemn Hamas, drawing criticism from the Anti-Defamation League.

Megan Romer, the national co-chair of the Democratic Socialists of America, defended rallying in support of Hamas and disputed Israel's right to self-defense during an interview with The New Yorker, published Friday. Asked if she would have joined an anti-Israel rally in New York City the day after the October 7, 2023, Hamas invasion, Romer said she 'probably would have.' She described the attack as 'largely inevitable,' citing conditions in Gaza. Romer also said any defense or economic support for Israel was a 'solid red line' for the DSA, and that the movement sought a 'free Palestine with the capital in Jerusalem.' She was unfamiliar with the Camp David Summit and disputed Israel's right to defend itself, saying safety cannot justify 'genocide.' The Anti-Defamation League said her rhetoric 'puts every Jewish American at risk.' The DSA is the home base of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, and its candidates have won congressional primaries.