The governor of New York Kathy Hokal apologized for comments he made at a Jewish charity event in New York City; where he is heard saying that Israel is justified in destroying Gaza after the October 7 attack by Hamas, comments that went viral.

“If Canada one day attacks Buffalo, I’m sorry, my friends, there will be no Canada the next day,” Hokal said in her speech Thursday at an event for the United Jewish Appeal-Federation of New York. “It’s a natural reaction. You have the right to stand up for him and make sure it doesn’t happen again. And Israel has that right,” the governor emphasized.

However, in a statement last Friday evening, Hokal stated that he regrets “using an inappropriate analogy, which I now realize could hurt members of our community.” He also apologized “for the poor choice of words”.

“While I have clearly stated my support for Israel’s right to self-defense, I have also repeatedly said, and still believe, that casualties among Palestinian civilians should be avoided and that more humanitarian aid should reach the people of Gaza.” , noted the governor.

Israel launched its offensive against the Gaza Strip after the Hamas attack, which killed around 1,200 people, according to Israeli estimates.

The humanitarian crisis in Gaza has pushed the enclave’s entire population to the brink of starvation, while nearly 29,000 people have been killed since the start of Israeli operations, according to Hamas’ health ministry.

And American society is dealing with the effects of the war, with human rights groups noting an increase in incidents of anti-Semitism and Islamophobia.