Representative Ruben Gallego (D-AZ-03) quietly deleted a 2021 press release from his official House website that expressed human rights concerns about Israel’s tactics during the conflict with Hamas after the Islamic terrorist group launched its devastating surprise attack against Israel on October 7.
The press release from Gallego, who is now running for U.S. Senate in Arizona, came in response to a period of violence in Israel and Palestine in May of 2021. Palestinian protesters were initially upset by the intention of an Israeli court to evict six Palestinian families from contested territory, and some ultimately threw stones at Israeli police. This provoked an Israeli police response that included the use of tear gas, rubber bullets, and stun grenades during a raid at the Al-Aqsa mosque. The conflict concluded after about two weeks.
In his 2021 statement, Gallego condemned the violence and urged “Palestinian and Israeli leaders” to “take immediate steps to de-escalate” and “achieve a ceasefire” to “prevent further bloodshed.” He highlighted the evictions as the cause of the violence, but also demanded Hamas stop its rocket attacks, and celebrated the United States’ support for Israel.
Gallego then seemed to warn the Jewish state to modify its tactics, declaring he was “gravely concerned by the human rights implications of Israel’s evictions of Palestinian residents of Sheikh Jarrah and the Israeli raid on the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem that helped spark the most recent conflict.” He also condemned “recent airstrikes that have claimed the lives of Palestinian civilians.”
He ultimately called for “a ceasefire in order to prevent further bloodshed and worsening of the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.”
The statement remained available on Gallego’s House website until some time after October 17, as per Google’s cache, which captured the 2021 press release. Likewise, the internet archive’s most recent snapshot of the web page shows the press release was available on August 15. Other press releases from the same period of 2021 remain available on Gallego’s website.
Gallego’s staff did not respond to The Arizona Sun Times’ comment request prior to publication.
The congressman’s 2021 statement on Israel and Hamas differs dramatically from the statement he issued on October 7, when he described Hamas’ attack as “alarming and horrifying” and pledged to “stand with Israel and its right to defend itself from these heinous and widespread attacks.” Four days later, on October 11, Gallego pledged his support for Israel on MSNBC, including the country’s ground offensive against Hamas in Gaza.
Gallego was confronted in Washington, D.C., over his alleged lack of prior support for Israel and attempts to aid Hamas last week, though he avoided the questions. He previously lobbied for Representatives Rashida Tlaib (D-MI-12) and Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) to be allowed to enter Israel and supported former President Barack Obama’s nuclear deal with Iran.
Should he secure the Arizona Democratic Party’s nomination, Gallego will likely face former gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake and Senator Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) in the general election. Polls suggest a competitive race between Lake and Gallego, with Sinema placing in a distant third place.
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Georgia Star News and a reporter for the Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
