In the wake of a harrowing terrorist attack in Boulder, Colorado—where an illegal immigrant targeted peaceful demonstrators with Molotov cocktails and a makeshift flamethrower—Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) issued a response that has stirred deep criticism, most notably from former MLB star and World Series champion Kevin Youkilis.
The crime, clearly motivated by extremist ideology and anti-Israel hatred, left Americans shaken. Yet Ocasio-Cortez’s remarks did little to address the root issues behind the attack.
Instead, she took to social media with a familiar refrain: condemning antisemitism in the abstract while skirting around the hard questions about its increasingly emboldened sources, especially within her own political sphere.
“We have a moral responsibility to confront and stop [antisemitism] everywhere it exists,” she posted. But for critics like Youkilis, the statement was a case of too little, too late—and entirely lacking in substance.
“Jews are targeted with violence, and it’s the same virtue signal post time and time again,” Youkilis wrote. His frustration points to a larger issue: repeated public condemnations that ring hollow without a corresponding plan of action. As antisemitic rhetoric echoes through New York City streets—including in Ocasio-Cortez’s own district—calls for “intifada” have gone largely unchallenged by many progressive leaders.
Youkilis didn’t stop at pointing out the hypocrisy. He challenged AOC directly: “What have you done to confront those calling for intifadas in NYC?” It’s a question that lingers heavily. For while AOC has positioned herself as a voice for justice, her silence—or at times tacit support—during eruptions of anti-Israel extremism has earned her a reputation for performative concern.
The congresswoman has previously praised student-led protests sympathetic to Hamas, referring to them as “peaceful,” even as university campuses reported harassment, intimidation, and ideological extremism.
In April 2024, her comments supporting demonstrations at Columbia University drew significant backlash as reports emerged of protesters shouting incendiary slogans and disrupting campus life.
What critics like Youkilis demand now is not another carefully worded post, but real leadership. The rise in antisemitic violence across the U.S., especially in urban strongholds like New York City, demands more than platitudes. It requires elected officials to name the threats honestly, challenge dangerous rhetoric within their own ranks, and propose tangible steps to protect Jewish communities.
