Video of Colorado lawmaker refusing to condemn Hamas atrocities in Israel goes viral
A Colorado state lawmaker is drawing rebukes from people across the world after he refused to condemn the violent attacks by Hamas militants in Israel.
A video of state Rep. Tim Hernandez posted on X -- formerly known as Twitter -- has gone viral. It was shot by a man named Russel, who goes by @_Walruss on X. He says he was on his way to synagogue Saturday when he saw a pro-Palestinian rally at the Colorado State Capitol. The video has since been shared by conservative news outlets, commentators and others, and has several million views on X.
He says Hernandez approached him and introduced himself as a state lawmaker: "That was in the midst of the slaughter and he was out there celebrating on that day."
In a video exchange, Russell asks Hernandez, "do you condemn the murder of women and children in the streets by Palestinian terrorists?"
Hernandez replies, "I condemn any form of colonial violence perpetuated upon any group of people."
Russell presses him, "I asked if liberating Palestine involves murdering women and children in the streets."
Hernandez answers, "I told you I believe in the liberation of Palestine. I've already answered that."
Appalled by Hernandez's refusal to condemn Hamas' actions, Russell says, "I think it's despicable what you're protesting for."
Hernandez dismisses him saying, "congratulations."
Russell continues, "and the fact that you can't condemn women and children murdered in the streets?"
Hernandez shrugs, "what about it?"
Democratic state Sen. Dafna Michaelson Jenet and Republican state Rep. Ron Weinberg -- members of the Jewish Caucus at the Capitol -- are among those who saw the video. Both have family in Israel. Michaelson Jenet says nine of her cousins are in the Israeli military and other family members are "running for their lives to underground bunkers."
She condemned Hernandez's decision to attend the rally: "To have a rally in support of Palestine at that moment seemed a little bit blind to what was happening in the world at that moment and the terror our families are experiencing in real-time."
Weinberg says his family lives on the Jordan border and soldiers are now posted in their backyard in fear Hezbollah may enter the war in support of Hamas. While Hernandez released a statement saying he was standing in solidarity with the Colorado Palestinian community, not Hamas, Weinberg says that's not how he comes across in his interview with Russell.
He suggests Hernandez is equivocating: "It's not a Republican or Democrat issue. This issue stems specifically to what is right and what is wrong for humanity and what has been committed is literal war crimes. Every single lawmaker should stand firm shoulder to shoulder, hand in hand, regardless of party affiliation and declare this unacceptable."
Michaelson Jenet also insists Hernandez is quibbling with semantics, noting he also reposted anti-Israeli tweets over the weekend, "His retweets are endorsements."
Russell went a step further saying, "he was not elected by a single Coloradan. He was appointed to an empty seat by a democratic caucus and I think it's now their responsibility to expel him from that seat."
In a statement, Gov. Jared Polis said, "the only proper response is to condemn Hamas for these evil terrorist attacks on innocent civilians and stand with Israel."
The Democratic Speaker of the House Julie McCluskie and Majority Leader Monica Duran also released a statement saying they've spoken with Hernandez and are "deeply disappointed that when there was doubt, he chose not to explicitly condemn the violent Hamas terrorist attacks" calling them an "atrocity that demands unequivocal condemnation."
McCluskie and Duran say they "stand with the people of Israel and the Jewish community in Colorado."
