US congresswoman withdraws from Yitzhak Rabin memorial

New York Democratic Congresswoman, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC), on Friday cancelled her participation in an event commemorating the life of former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin.

An AOC spokeswoman said Ocasio-Cortez would not attend the event, organised by Americans for Peace Now (APN) and which is scheduled to take place in October.

The progressive House Democrat’s decision came following criticism from activists who explained that Rabin had committed atrocities against Palestinians including ordering that their bones be broken during the First Intifada.

Earlier on Friday, journalist Alex Kane tweeted that, for many Palestinians, Rabin would be “remembered his brutal rule suppressing Palestinian protest during the First Intifada, as someone who reportedly ordered the breaking of Palestinian bones”.

In response to Kane’s tweet, 30-year-old AOC tweeted that the event and her involvement was presented to her team differently from how it’s now being promoted.

“Thanks for pointing it out. Taking a look into this now,” she added.

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