Jewish Democratic leaders call for end to 'divisive rhetoric' within party after Denver legislator joins pro-Palestinian protesters
Jewish Democratic leaders on Tuesday called for an end to the "divisive rhetoric" within their party over the Israel-Hamas conflict.
The rhetoric reached its peak over the past several days during the special session of the Colorado General Assembly, when Pro-Palestinian protesters disrupted the House proceedings. That disruption delayed the end of the special session on Monday, including when Rep. Elisabeth Epps, D-Denver, joined protesters in the House gallery in shouting at lawmakers on the House floor.
At one point, Epps and the protesters called Democrats "fascists."
The statement from more than 150 Jewish Democrats said they are "deeply concerned about the harmful and divisive narrative that has surfaced within our party" since the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attack on Israel.
That day, Hamas, which the U.S. government lists as a terrorist organization, stormed across the border into southern Israel and killed at least 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and kidnapped some 240 others, including Americans, taking them into Gaza.
The Jewish Democrats did not mention Epps by name.
"Recent statements from individual members and caucuses within the Colorado Democratic Party are undermining our shared values and perpetuating the very marginalization and 'othering' we as a party work so hard to combat," they said in the statement.
"It should go without saying, we believe the loss of one innocent life is too much. That includes Israelis and Palestinians, Jews and Muslims, Christians and Arabs and Atheists — every single human being. Unfortunately, instead of focusing on coming together to grieve and work through our intense emotions, too much time and energy has been consumed by the actions and statements from individuals and groups that completely ignore the Jewish people, and are at times, blatantly anti-Semitic," the leaders added.