Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) dismissed reports of women getting raped after Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel in October as “propaganda.”
The leftist “Squad” member cast doubt on the violence while addressing a group of pro-Palestinian protesters at a November rally, POLITICO reported on Tuesday.
“There’s still no evidence of beheaded babies or raped women. But they still keep using that lie [for] propaganda,” Bowman said to the crowd, as seen in a TikTok video.
SCOOP: In the weeks after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel, Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) not only publicly cast doubt on reports that Israeli women were raped, but also called those accusations “propaganda,” according to a previously unreported post on TikTok. https://t.co/Vb2dJdUgcK pic.twitter.com/DpXqRmcBS2
— Daniel Lippman (@dlippman) March 26, 2024
Journalist Daniel Lippman reported that Bowman declined to talk about his comments on the record when asked about the comments on Thursday outside his office.
Bowman later gave Lippman a statement that acknowledged a recent United Nations report that found “convincing information” about sexual violence being committed against hostages being held in the Gaza Strip.
“As I said at this rally, what Hamas did on October 7th is a war crime and they must release all the hostages,” he said. “The UN confirmed that Hamas committed rape and sexual violence, a reprehensible fact that I condemn entirely. I also voted yes on Resolution 966, which officially condemns the rape and sexual violence committed by Hamas.”
Bowman added, “So let me be clear, and ensure my words are not twisted: I always stand against sexual violence in all forms and stand for peace for all.”
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It has been a turbulent several months for Bowman, who first took office in 2021.
He made headlines in September for pulling a fire alarm in a congressional office building when there was no emergency, leading to a House censure and a guilty plea deal on a misdemeanor.
In December, George Latimer entered the primary race to challenge Bowman in 2024, releasing a video highlighting how the incumbent voted against a resolution in support of Israel and to condemn the Hamas terrorist attack.
The Daily Beast reported in January that Bowman promoted conspiracy theories about the 9/11 terrorist attacks on his blog when he was a high school principal. The congressman said he regretted the posts.