On Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer spoke to tens of thousands of people who had gathered at the National Mall in Washington D.C. to show solidarity with Israel. However, it appears that Schumer may have accidentally mixed up the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel with the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot, much to the chagrin of observers.
Chuck Schumer: "The minute I heard of what happened in January 7th, I knew I had to go to Israel"
Pathetic. Confusing January 6 with the Hamas terror attack on October 7 is beyond disgraceful.
pic.twitter.com/Vn83tid8ib— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) November 14, 2023
While discussing his most recent trip to Israel, Schumer said, “When I heard of what happened on January 7, I knew I had to go to Israel.” Schumer is the highest-ranking Jewish elected official in American history, and thus, felt a responsibility to go to the country that was “shaken” by the attack that left at least 1400 Israelis dead and over 200 people taken hostage. “Israel, we in America have your back,” Schumer said. “America feels your pain. We ache with you, we stand with you and we will not rest until you get all the assistance you need. We will not rest until you get the assistance you need!”
Unsurprisingly, Schumer’s remarks were met with criticism and incredulity from those on social media. “Pathetic. Confusing January 6 with the Hamas terror attack on October 7 is beyond disgraceful,” said Republican operative Steve Guest.
Joel Pollak, a senior editor-at-large of Breitbart News, was among others who pointed out Schumer’s gaffe. “I am sure the people in Israel are very comforted by the fact that an American Senator is shamelessly using a pro-Israel rally to bash his political opposition,” a Twitter user said.
Chuck Schumer accidentally refers to the Hamas terror attack as “January 7.”
— Joel Pollak (@joelpollak) November 14, 2023
In response to the conflict, Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Barbara A. Leaf will be traveling to the Middle East from the 14th to the 20th of November. Leaf will meet with regional partners to talk about how to ensure such a crisis never happens again, provide humanitarian aid to Gaza, as well as ensure the immediate and safe return of foreign nationals and hostages.
Leaf will attend the Manama Dialogue in Bahrain, where she will focus on regional security issues and offer policy responses. Which is more than Schumer has planned.