|
"If Canada someday ever attacked Buffalo, I'm sorry, my friends,
there would be no Canada the next day," Hochul said in a portion
of her speech on Thursday at an event for the United Jewish
Appeal-Federation of New York.
"That is a natural reaction. You have a right to defend yourself
and to make sure that it never happens again. And that is
Israel's right."
In a statement on Friday night, she said she regretted "using an
inappropriate analogy that I now realize could be hurtful to
members of our community," and apologized for her "poor choice
of words."
"While I have been clear in my support of Israel's right to
self-defense, I have also repeatedly said and continue to
believe that Palestinian civilian casualties should be avoided
and that more humanitarian aid must go to the people of Gaza,"
the governor added.
Israel launched its offensive in Hamas-governed Gaza following
the Palestinian Islamist group's Oct. 7 attack on Israel that
killed 1,200, according to Israeli tallies. Israel's subsequent
military action and strikes have flattened much of the densely
populated enclave and displaced nearly all its population.
The humanitarian crisis has left Gaza's population of more than
2 million people on the brink of starvation. Nearly 29,000 have
died in Israel's offensive, according to the Gaza health
ministry.
The United Nations has called for a humanitarian ceasefire,
which the U.S. has opposed, saying it would let Hamas regroup.
American society has also had to deal with the impact of the
war. Rights advocates have noted a rise in antisemitism,
Islamophobia and anti-Arab bias in the U.S. since the start of
the war and protests demanding a ceasefire in Gaza have occurred
in many cities.
(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Srephen
Coates)
[© 2024 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
Copyright 2022 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may
not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.
|
|
