Cornel West Calls Hamas Attack a “Counter-Terrorist” Response

Independent presidential candidate Cornel West, in a recent interview, referred to the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on southern Israel as a “counter-terrorist” response. West and his running mate, Melina Abdullah, did not criticize Hamas for its actions in the ongoing conflict and declined to condemn the attack.

West argued that while Hamas has “responsibility” for causing harm to civilians, the primary culprit is the Israeli military, which he accused of terrorizing Palestinians to the point of genocide. Abdullah, when asked to condemn the Hamas attack, expressed discomfort with the constant calls to condemn Hamas and highlighted the troubling fact of a state built on the genocide of a people.