Progressive pols have stepped up calls for Israel to dial back its response to the Oct. 7 massacre by Hamas terrorists. And they make it a point to voice support for political leaders who preceded them in their statements.

Rewind the tape, however, and you’ll find that they denounced the horrific slaughter, mass rape, and kidnapping, stood with Israel, supported Jews, etc. As if to underscore their avowed solidarity, they lit Hanukkah menorahs in public settings. The optics were excellent.

Then they call for a cease-fire from Israel.

Oddly, they never insist on a cease-fire from Hamas. They never insist that it stop using Palestinians as human shields. They don’t ask that Hamas stop firing rockets into Israel. And they never insist that Hamas disavow calls to repeat the horrors of Oct. 7 “again and again” until Israel is destroyed.

There is a massive disconnect, uniformly ignored by fellow progressives.
It’s easy to be a Hanukkah ally – light a candle, smile, listen to the prayers. But real support calls for a post-holiday backbone, acknowledging the acts of Hamas, and working for a solution for peace for Israelis and Palestinians alike.