Does not she sound like Bush or Obama or Hillary?
"Margaret Hoover: What is your position on Israel?
"Margaret Hoover: What is your position on Israel?
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: Well, I believe absolutely in Israel's right to exist. I am a proponent of a two-state solution. And for me it's not--this is not a referendum I think on the state of Israel. For me, the lens through which I saw this incident, as an activist, as an organizer, is sixty people were killed in Ferguson, Missouri, sixty people were killed in the South Bronx--unarmed--sixty people were killed in Puerto Rico. I just look at that incident more through...through just, as an incident, and to me it would just be completely unacceptable if that happened on our shores. But I am--
MH: Of course the dynamic there in terms of geopolitics--
AOC: Of course
MH: and the war in the Middle East is very different than people expressing their first amendment right to protest.
AOC: Well, yes. But I also think that what people are starting to see at least in the occupation of Palestine is just an increasing crisis of humanitarian condition, and that to me is just where I tend to come from on this issue.
MH: You use the term "the occupation of Palestine"? What did you mean by that?
AOC: Oh, um. [long pause] I think it, what I meant is like the settlements that are increasing in some of these areas and places where Palestinians are experiencing difficulty in access to their housing and homes.
MH: Do you think you can expand on that?
AOC: Yeah, I mean, I think I'd also just [waves hands and laughs] I am not the expert on geopolitics on this issue. You know, for me, I'm a firm believer in fighting [possibly "finding"] a two-state solution on this issue, and I'm happy to sit down with leaders on both of this issue, on both of these, for me I just look at things through a human rights lens--and I may not use the right words. [laughs] I know this is a very intense issue.
MH: That's very honest, that's very honest. It's very honest and when, you, you know, get to Washington and you're an elected member of Congress you'll have the opportunity to talk to people on all sides and visit Israel and visit the West Bank and--
AOC: Absolutely, absolutely. And I think that's, that's one of those things that's important too is that, you know, especially with the district that I represent, I come from the South Bronx, I come from a Puerto Rican background, and Middle Eastern politics was not exactly at my kitchen table every night. But, I also recognize that this is an intensely important issue for people in my district, for Americans across the country, and I think what's at least important to communicate is that I'm willing to listen and that I'm willing to learn and evolve on this issue like I think many Americans are." (transcript from Steven Salaita).
