On Sunday’s State of the Union, CNN host Dana Bash repeatedly pressed radical Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) on brutal rapes committed by Hamas. Jayapal was like sure, sure, but Israel is terrible.
CNN has aired plenty of pro-Hamas talking points, but Bash pressed a radical feminist on her radical feminism.
BASH: I want to ask you about sexual violence. And the — it is kind of remarkable that this issue hasn’t gotten enough attention globally, widespread use of rape, brutal rape, sexual violence against Israeli women by Hamas. I have seen a lot of progressive women, generally speaking, that are quick to defend women’s rights and speak out against using rape as a weapon of war, but downright silent on what we saw on October 7 and what might be happening inside Gaza right now to these hostages. Why is that?
JAYAPAL: I mean, I don’t know that that’s true. I think what — we always talk about the impact of war on women, in particular. In fact, I remember, 20 years ago, I did a petition around the war in Iraq, saying that…
BASH: Have you talked about it since October 7?
JAYAPAL: Oh, absolutely. And I have condemned what Hamas has done. I have condemned all of the actions.
BASH: Specifically against women?
JAYAPAL: Absolutely, the rape, the — of course.
Of course, this is where Jayapal shifted the conversation, suggesting for some strange reason, Israeli a democracy and our ally, so we should judge them more harshly than Hamas terrorists:
JAYAPAL: But I think we have to remember that Israel is a democracy. That is why they are a strong ally of ours. And if they do not comply with international humanitarian law, they are bringing themselves to a place that makes it much more difficult strategically for them to be able to build the kinds of allies, to keep public opinion with them.
And, frankly, morally, I think we cannot say that one war crime deserves another. That is not what international humanitarian law says.
BASH: OK, with respect, I was just asking about the women, and you turned it back to Israel. I’m asking you about Hamas. In fact…
JAYAPAL: I already answered your question, Dana. I said it’s horrific.
BASH: Yes.
JAYAPAL: And I think that rape is horrific. Sexual assault is horrific. I think that it happens in war situations. Terrorist organizations like Hamas obviously are using these as tools. However, I think we have to be balanced about bringing in the outrages against Palestinians.
She claimed 15,000 Palestinians “have been killed in Israeli airstrikes, three-quarters of whom are women and children.” Three-quarters? Hamas numbers. Bash came back to her point:
BASH: And it’s horrible, but you don’t see Israeli soldiers raping Palestinian women.
JAYAPAL: Well, Dana, I think we’re not — we’re not — I don’t want this to be the hierarchy of oppressions.
“Hierachy of oppressions”? That’s woke lingo for “you can’t compare Hamas to Israel, that’s unfair.”
