On Forbes Newsroom, Michigan Democratic lawmaker Shri Thanedar spoke out about his renunciation of membership in the Democratic Socialists of America.
Congressman Shri Thanedar (D-Mich) says he quit the Democratic Socialists of America because of its “failure to recognize” the Hamas attack on Israel as an “act of terrorism. “Anything else would be denying the people of Israel–the families, the elderly who were abducted, the 40 or so children who were found beheaded,” Thanedar said during an interview with Forbes Newsroom.
Thanedar says he left the group following its promotion of a “sickening” pro-Palestinian rally in Times Square one day after Hamas’s assault on Israel, which he called “hate-filled and antisemitic.”
“Unfortunately their website is still showing this morning that I am a member in good standing,” the lawmaker said, before adding that he was attempting to get that removed.
Thanedar was one of five Democrats in Congress who are members of the DSA. He declined to say whether his colleagues should also quit. “I’m not going to tell them what they should do or should not,” he said, noting “I am the junior- most member of Congress.”
When asked about fellow Michigan Democrat and current DSA member Rep. Rashida Tlaib’s statements on Israel after the Hamas attack, Thanedar said, “We really need to open our eyes to what just happened,” decrying the assault on Israel as a “horrific terrorist act.” Thanedar added, “This is not the time to talk about anything else but to neutralize this terrorist attack.”
“There’s only a handful of people in the Democratic party that do not see this as an act of terrorism,” the Michigan lawmaker said. “But that pales compared to what’s going on on the Republican side.”
“Republicans are in chaos in a time when we should be dealing with this international crisis,” he said. “Congress should be fully engaged with that as opposed to the Republicans who are unable to govern.”
Watch the full interview above.
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