Cornel West Rants Against ‘Genocidal’ Israel in Pro-Palestinian Rally

Dr. Cornel West, radical professor-turned-independent presidential candidate, delivered a speech at a pro-Palestinian rally on Saturday in which he ranted against the “genocidal” existence of the state of Israel.

In a video West posted to his own Twitter/X account, he declared:

Let the word go forth here and now, that we stand with our brothers and sisters and siblings dealing with unbelievable assault and attack, genocidal on the one hand, but 75 years of it, and we still stand tall, they still stand tall, ’cause any time, yes, any time everyday people straighten their backs up they’re going somewhere, because folk can’t ride our back unless it’s bent, and we are standing in solidarity.

The reference to “75 years” is a reference to the creation of the State of Israel in 1948. The claim that its very existence constitutes “genocide” is an inversion of history, and implies that Israel is illegitimate and should be destroyed.

Later, West declared:

Don’t let any of these mainstream folks try to manipulate you and say you hate Jewish brothers and sisters — you hate an Israeli occupation! You hate an Israeli genocidal attack on our precious siblings, Palestinian siblings in Gaza! … And some of us will be faithful unto death! Just like those in Gaza and faithful unto death!

Israel is attacking Hamas and other terror organizations in Gaza, while encouraging civilians to take refuge in safe zones in the southern part of the Gaza Strip. The call to fight “unto death” echoes the slogans of many of those same terror organizations, which are attempting to stop Palestinians from fleeing and would prefer death to coexistence or surrender.

Not once in the video did West condemn Hamas, or terror against Israeli civilians, though he did call for learning “how to live with Israeli brothers and sisters.”

West also marched in the same rally holding a banner depicting “Zionism” as a snake, a common theme in antisemitic imagery.