DSA Co-Chair Defends October 8 Rally, Calls October 7 'Inevitable'

In a jaw-dropping interview with The New Yorker, Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) co-chair Megan Romer refused to condemn Hamas and justified the October 7 massacre as “largely inevitable.” The remarks, published on August 11, 2026, have sparked outrage from Jewish leaders and pro-Israel advocates across the United States.

During the interview with editor David Remnick, Romer was asked directly if she would have attended the pro-Palestine rally in Times Square on October 8, 2023 — just one day after Hamas terrorists slaughtered 1,200 Israelis and took over 200 hostages. Her response: “I probably would have.”

Romer doubled down, claiming that the massacre was “largely inevitable” because, in her words, “If you put people in an open-air concentration camp and you deprive them of rights, of dignity, of food, of the ability to live in safety, you have to expect that they are going to not take that for that long.” When Remnick pressed her, noting that this logic effectively defends violence against civilians, Romer insisted she was merely describing inevitability, not justifying harm. Yet the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) was quick to call out the hypocrisy.

“There is no justification for rape, kidnapping, torture, and slaughter,” the ADL stated in a detailed response on X/Twitter. The organization condemned Romer’s refusal to denounce Hamas, a US-designated foreign terrorist organization whose charter explicitly calls for the destruction of Israel. “She also called the Hamas-led October 7 massacre a mere 'revolt' and 'largely inevitable,'” the ADL added.

Romer: US Support for Israel Is a 'Solid Red Line'

Expanding on the DSA’s platform, Romer made clear that any US defense or economic support for Israel is a “solid red line” for the organization. She also endorsed a “free Palestine with the capital in Jerusalem,” a stance she acknowledged “can be safely read as a one-state solution.” This vision leaves no room for Jewish self-determination in our ancestral homeland — a point the ADL emphasized in its critique.

Romer’s ignorance of basic diplomatic history was also exposed. When asked about the 2000 Camp David proposal, which sought to establish a Palestinian state alongside Israel, she admitted she did not know the specifics. “The co-chair of an organization constantly calling for a 'free Palestine' and who claims Palestinian people are 'in a cage,' does not know the basic diplomatic history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and yet, she thinks she's a legitimate commentator,” the ADL wrote.

LGBTQ+ Rights and the Hamas Lie

When the conversation turned to LGBTQ+ rights, Romer tried to contextualize Hamas’s record, saying she “would not call Hamas queer-friendly” but adding that “you cannot get a lot of social rights when you're under siege.” The ADL pushed back forcefully: “Hamas does not persecute LGBTQ+ people because of a conflict. It does so because persecution of LGBTQ+ people is a core part of its ideology.”

Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the ADL, summed up the interview with a sharp warning: “When people and groups tell you who they are, believe them.” The DSA, with over 120,000 members and more than 250 elected officials across the US, is no longer a fringe group. It has the power to influence mainstream discourse — and its leaders are openly aligning with terrorists who seek the destruction of the Jewish state.

For Zion Pulse readers, this interview is a stark reminder: the fight for Israel’s security and Jewish identity is not just on the battlefield. It is happening in the halls of American media and politics, where voices like Romer’s seek to delegitimize our right to exist. We must remain vigilant and proud of our heritage, as the Bible teaches: “Be strong and courageous” (Deuteronomy 31:6).