American soccer star Megan Rapinoe is currently raising money online for those living in Gaza amidst the Israel-Hamas conflict, but she has abstained from talking about the initial attacks by the Palestinian group that kicked off the war. That’s been particularly curious for Rapinoe, for a number of reasons, and several observers have taken notice.
Megan Rapinoe announced her retirement in September | SCREENSHOT: U.S. Soccer/YouTube
Of course, the news cycle has been dominated by updates from the Middle East ever since Hamas, an Islamic terrorist organization and the governing body of Gaza, carried out the horrific attack that left more than 1,400 dead in Israel and hundreds abducted as hostages taken back to the Gaza Strip. It’s been confirmed by multiple news organizations that 10 Americans are among those being held in captivity currently.
Subsequent retaliation was ordered immediately by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. And make no mistake… the counter-strike by the Israeli forces has been swift and brutal, with many citizens in Gaza getting caught in its wake.
That Israeli retaliation is what led Megan Rapinoe – who has long been an outspoken critic of the United States and its human rights record – to start an effort to send aid and comfort to families affected in Gaza. This could be considered noble by some, considering the citizens themselves aren’t really the aggressors, but mere bystanders in the brutality.
However, what’s been odd to so many fans and observers is that she hasn’t balanced that out on the other side of the equation. Despite her concern for the people of the Gaza Strip, she’s made almost no mention of America’s biggest ally in the region, Israel, or the initial attack and collateral damage that has come from it.
This is especially strange, considering her fiancee, former WNBA star Sue Bird, is of Jewish heritage.
For those who have criticized Megan Rapinoe and her politics in the past, this was another opportunity to bash her for what they deem as un-American stances. Seemingly going out of her way to thumb her nose at Israelis during one of the darkest period of their history, she’s now taking things way past kneeling during the National Anthem. It’s become a point now where many have started to wonder if Rapinoe just protests anything even close to patriotic, just for the sake of protesting.
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