‘Virtue signaling’: Former Major League Baseball star slams AOC’s statement on Boulder attack

“What have you done to confront those calling for intifadas in NYC? Until you create a plan of action, your repeated virtue signaling after the violence occurs holds no weight.”

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

World Series champion and Major League Baseball All-Star Kevin Youkilis took to social media to criticize Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s reaction to the violent attack on a rally in Boulder, Colorado, as “virtue signaling.”

After an attack that injured at least eight people on a Run For Their Lives event on Sunday – an event organized to raise awareness of the hostages held by Hamas in Gaza – Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) wrote on X: “My heart is with the victims and our Jewish communities across the country. Antisemitism is on the rise here at home, and we have a moral responsibility to confront and stop it everywhere it exists.”

Youkilis criticized AOC, who, along with other members of the “Squad” in Congress, falsely alleged that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. He noted that AOC has ignored calls among colleagues for a “global intifada.”

“Jews are targeted with violence, and it’s the same virtue signal post time and time again,” he wrote on X. “What have you done to confront those calling for intifadas in NYC? Until you create a plan of action, your repeated virtue signaling after the violence occurs holds no weight.”

He urged the congresswoman to combat radicalism within her political party and in her district. “Confront the radical mobs chanting for intifadas in NYC. That would be brave leadership, but we know politicians on both sides of the aisle shy away in fear of losing votes and power.”

On Sunday, the eve of the Jewish holiday of Shavuot, Mohamed Sabry Soliman, a 45-year-old Egyptian national whose visa had expired, threw Molotov cocktails and used a flamethrower to attack participants in the hostage advocacy event.

At least eight people were injured in the attack, and two elderly people were hospitalized with severe burns.

AOC has long been a harsh critic of Israel. Last June, she called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a “war criminal” and urged Congress to bar him from speaking at a joint session.

“This man should not be addressing Congress. He is a war criminal. And he certainly has no regard for US law, which is explicitly designed to prevent US weapons from facilitating human rights abuses,” she claimed.

“His invitation should be revoked. It should’ve never been sent in the first place.”