Gottheimer Criticizes Facebook, Commemorates Year Since Hamas Attacks

WYCKOFF, NJ — U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer on Monday joined five other members of Congress to announce a bipartisan resolution that commemorates a year since Hamas' terrorist attacks on Israel.

In the Oct. 7, 2023 massacre, the terrorist group Hamas killed more than 1,200 people in Israel, including more than 300 at a music festival, and kidnapped other adults and children from their homes.

Since then, more than 30,000 Palestinian adults and children have been killed as a result of the resulting fighting, international media agencies reported. Activist groups have spoken out, both urging for the hostages to be released and condemning the brutality of the fighting in Gaza

Gottheimer said, “As we commemorate one year since October 7, we honor the memory of the innocent civilians who were brutally murdered by Hamas terrorists and we stand with our greatest ally in the Middle East, Israel in its efforts to secure the safe return of the remaining hostages."

He added, "We can never forget that Hamas terrorists launched a devastating attack against Israel, brutally murdering more than 1,200 people, and kidnapping more than 240 people. 101 people remain captive, including seven Americans.

“We must continue to combat the surge in antisemitism that has followed and ensure that Iran and its proxies, including Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), Hezbollah, and the Houthis, are held accountable. This bipartisan resolution reaffirms America’s unwavering commitment to Israel’s security and to the release of all the remaining hostages, including American citizens.”

Six of the Israel hostages shot to death by Hamas in a tunnel in August, including an American, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, news outlets reported.

Recently Condemned Facebook's Owner

Late last month, Gottheimer joined 16 Bipartisan members of Congress to confirm Meta’s Oversight Board’s Decision that “From the River to the Sea” is not hate speech. Meta owns Facebook and other tech platforms.

On Sept. 25, 2024, Gottheimber's office released news of a letter signed by the congress members to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

“We write to you today to express outrage with the Oversight Board’s decision that the phrase ‘from the river to the sea’ does not violate Meta’s rules on hate speech, violence and incitement, or dangerous organizations and individuals," the letter said.

"Earlier this year, Congress voted in a resounding bipartisan fashion to condemn the use of this phrase and deemed it antisemitic. This phrase is clearly a call for the destruction of the State of Israel and serves as an antisemitic charge, denying the Jewish people the right to self-determination, including through the forced removal of Jews from their ancestral homeland."

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