Rep. Ritchie Torres Slams ‘Selective Outrage’ over Israeli ‘Precision’ Response to Daily Hezbollah Rocket Attacks

Democrat Rep. Ritchie Torres of New York slammed the “selective outrage” of those condemning Israel’s reported precision strikes against Hezbollah operatives this week while ignoring the Lebanese terrorist group’s near-daily indiscriminate attacks against the Jewish state over the last year.

In a post shared on social media Thursday, New York Congressman Ritchie Torres expressed strong disapproval of what he described as the “selective outrage” of those focusing solely on Israel’s reported sabotaging of Hezbollah’s communications devices, without acknowledging Hezbollah’s role in escalating violence.

Torres, the representative of New York’s 15th Congressional District who left the Congressional Progressive Caucus in February because of members’ outlandish criticisms of Israel, argued that condemning Israel’s just military actions while remaining silent about Hezbollah’s aggression undermines the pursuit of peace.

“You are obstinately opposing Israel’s right to defend itself against the world’s most heavily armed terrorist organization,” he insisted, emphasizing the severity of Hezbollah’s attacks.

Since the conflict began, Hezbollah has launched thousands of rockets into Israel, causing widespread displacement and destruction. 

“How can one be outraged over a precision strike by Israel against terrorists while remaining silent about Hezbollah’s role in firing over 8,000 rockets against Israel; in displacing up to 100,000 Israelis from their homes; and in murdering 12 Druze children with relentless rocket fire?” Torres questioned as he highlighted the lopsided criticism of Israel’s military actions.

Memorial at the Spot Where Hezbollah Rocket Killed 12 Druze Israeli Arab Children Playing Soccer

Joel B. Pollak / Breitbart News

Last month, Torres, a long-time supporter of Israel’s right to self-defense, criticized several airlines for suspending flights to Israel, noting that it was “effectively boycotting” Israel.

The matter comes after a reported Israeli response to the Iranian proxy’s ceaseless targeting of Israeli civilians over the last year. As Breitbart News reported, communications devices apparently carried by senior Hezbollah members were detonated throughout Lebanon on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Israel is currently in the midst of efforts to dismantle Hamas in Gaza following the terrorist group’s deadly October 7 attack, the worst massacre of Jewish people since the Holocaust, which killed nearly 1,200 people, most of them Israelis, wounded over 4,800, and resulted in 241 hostages — over half of whom remain in Gaza. The vast majority of the victims are civilians and include dozens of American citizens.

The following day, on October 8, Hezbollah fired guided rockets and artillery shells at Israel in response to the Israel-Hamas war that began the previous day. Since then, intensified clashes between Israel and Hezbollah have significantly escalated tensions in the region, with exchanges of fire across the Lebanon-Israel border leading to major displacements and fears of an imminent major confrontation between the Iranian-backed terror group and the Jewish state.

As a Lebanese Shia Islamist political party and terrorist group, Hezbollah wields significant influence in Lebanon, effectively shaping its political and security landscape, and is often perceived as a state within a state. Its military strength has grown considerably, at times surpassing the capabilities of the Lebanese Army. With support from Iran and political backing from Syria, the group has expanded its activities beyond Lebanon, notably participating in the Syrian Civil War alongside the Assad regime. 

Hezbollah, which has been actively seeking to expand its influence beyond the Middle East, is designated a terrorist organization by more than a dozen countries and international entities, including major Western nations, members of the European Union, and most Arab League member states, due to its involvement in terrorist activities against American, French, Israeli, and other targets.

Consequently, it poses significant security concerns to Israel and has contentious relations with the United States. In 1983, Hezbollah bombed the Beirut Marine barracks in Lebanon, killing 241 American servicemen in what was one of the deadliest pre-9/11 attacks against the U.S. 

Speaking at a White House event marking the 35th anniversary of the attack in 2018, then-President Donald Trump stated that, “No terrorist group other than al Qaeda has more American blood on its hands.”