‘Cheersing in Bar to Ending Occupation of Palestine’: Biden Admin Official Has Long History of Anti-Israel Comments

A White House communications official who the Biden administration just promoted has a long history of provocative anti-Israel comments and has compared law enforcement to slave patrols.

Social media users revealed that Tyler Cherry, who was promoted to associate communications director for the White House last week according to his LinkedIn, has an extensive record of controversial comments, especially regarding the Jewish state.

In July 2014, amid an escalation between Israel and Hamas, the Palestinian terrorist group that controls the Gaza Strip, Cherry tweeted, “Cheersing in a bar to ending the occupation of Palestine — no shame and f—k your glares #ISupportGaza #FreePalestine.”

The war began after Hamas terrorists kidnapped three Israelis in the West Bank and murdered them.

Cherry has also suggested he supports cutting off US aid to Israel. In response to news of workers for UNRWA, the UN agency dedicated solely to Palestinian refugees and their descendants, being killed by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in the 2014 war, Cherry lamented that the US “continues to let Israeli forces restock their arsenals with US ammunition and weapons.”

He also wrote, “No words can come close to the ever-increasing disappointment of the US’s omnipotence and complicity in this massacre #Free Palestine,” referring to the 2014 Hamas-Israel war.

Cherry has also been a strong defender of anti-Zionist activist and Women’s March organizer Linda Sarsour. After scrutiny of Sarsour rose due to what some consider to be antisemitic statements by her, Cherry wrote, “The right can’t STAND to see a fierce Muslim woman at the helm of the resistance and thus have to make s–t up to smear her #IMarchWithLinda.”

With Cherry’s new job, these posts have raised questions among pro-Israel supporters about the extent to which he agrees with the policy of US President Joe Biden when it comes to Israel — and whether the administration is allowing far-left views among its staffers to go unchecked.

At least one watchdog group dedicated to combating antisemitism has called on the administration to fire Cherry.

“We’re hoping this is the quickest hire and fire scenario in President Biden’s administration to date,” StopAntisemitism founder Liora Rez told Fox News Digital. “For the Biden administration to either A, not vet properly, or B, to vet and then approve an inner circle appointee like this … is just horrifying.”

In response to his posts being revealed, Cherry commented, “Past social media posts from when I was younger do not reflect my current views. Period. I support this administration’s agenda — and will continue my communications work focused on our climate and environmental policies.”

Posts regarding Israel were not the only ones that resurfaced. Cherry also called to “Abolish ICE,” referring to the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement government agency, also writing “police = slave patrols” and “Voter ID = poll taxes.”

This is not the first time a staffer in the Biden administration has been revealed to have strong anti-Israel views.

In January 2021, The Washington Free Beacon reported that the person who Biden tapped for the role of senior director for intelligence programs at the US National Security Council was a longtime activist and supporter of the boycott, divest, and sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel. The BDS movement seeks to isolate the Jewish state on the international stage as the first step toward its eventual elimination.

Before being named to the National Security Council, Maher Bitar was a student leader of his campus chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), a group that expressed support for Hamas’ October 7 massacre in southern Israel.

In the 2006 yearbook from Georgetown University, Bitar is seen holding a sign reading “Divest from Israel Apartheid.” His involvement with the anti-Israel movement did not stop when he left college.

Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX) told The Washington Free Beacon at the time: “Appointing him for an integral role on the National Security Council is a slap in the face to our important ally Israel, and it sends a terrible message to the rest of the world. I strongly urge the Biden administration to quickly retreat from this dangerous decision and to appoint someone who is better aligned with our allies and less divisive.”