US Congressman Ritchie Torres (D-NY), one of Israel's strongest defenders in the Democratic Party, praised Israel's treatment of its minorities, in particular the Israel-Arab population.
"Arabs in the Jewish state enjoy far more rights than Jews ever did—or still do—in Arab states, to the extent that any Jews remain there at all," Torres wrote on X.
"The ethnic cleansing of Jews from the Arab world was so thorough that virtually none remain. In 2021, for example, the last Jew fled Afghanistan following the Taliban’s return to power—ending more than 2,500 years of continuous Jewish presence stretching back to the Babylonian exile," he added, noting that Afghanistan is a Muslim country but not an Arab one.
This is not the first time Torres has praised Israel's human rights record. In March, he published a post commending Israel's commitment to religious pluralism and freedom during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
"Israel has been a responsible guardian of the Abrahamic tradition, transforming Jerusalem into a miraculous mosaic of religious pluralism among the most devout Jews, Christians, and Muslims," Torres wrote on X.
He noted, "Under Israeli sovereignty, 80,000 Muslims freely prayed at the Al-Aqsa Mosque on the first day of Ramadan. By contrast, during Jordanian control over East Jerusalem from 1948 to 1967, Jews were strictly prohibited from even entering the Old City, let alone praying at the Western Wall."
"Israel’s unprecedented commitment to religious liberty and diversity in the world’s holiest city is among the unacknowledged virtues of the Jewish State," Torres stated.