Politics

Katherine Clark refers to ‘genocide’ in Gaza, then walks back comments

“I want to be clear that I am not accusing Israel of genocide,” Clark said after her comments made headlines.

House Minority Whip Katherine Clark, D-Mass., speaks during a news conference in April 2025. AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.

August 20, 2025

2 minutes to read

Massachusetts Rep. Katherine Clark, one of the top Democrats in Congress, appeared to refer to Israel’s actions in Gaza as a “genocide” during a Quaker event in Cambridge last week.

But Clark, the House minority whip, told Boston.com the characterization was taken out of context.

Clark’s initial comment, made at an event in Cambridge, appeared to call for “stopping the starvation and genocide and destruction of Gaza,” which would have made her one of the most senior congressional members to call Israel’s actions genocidal.

“I want to be clear that I am not accusing Israel of genocide,” Clark said after the comments made headlines.

Clark: ‘Stopping the starvation and genocide and destruction of Gaza’

Clark, who represents Massachusetts’s 5th district including Framingham, Medford, and parts of Cambridge, spoke at a Friends Committee on National Legislation event near Harvard Square last Thursday. When she referenced Gaza, she appeared to be answering a question.

“We each have to continue to have an open heart, about how we do this, how we do it effectively, and how we take action in time to make a difference,” Clark says, according to a video of the exchange. “Whether that’s stopping the starvation and genocide and destruction of Gaza or whether that means we are working together to stop the redistricting that is going on, taking away the vote from people in order to retain power.

“It’s exhausting to do all of it, but we have to,” she finishes before someone appears to speak to ask a follow-up question.

Protesters with Congressional District 5, or CD5, for Palestine attended the event at the Friends Meeting House last week. Those advocates, who shared the video with Boston.com, lauded Clark’s “admission.”

“I appreciate Katherine Clark has finally acknowledged that Israel is committing a genocide,” activist Sam Levine said in a statement. “Representative Clark must now act accordingly. That means a promise to end all military support for this genocidal government.”

Clark later says she “repeated the word ‘genocide’ in response to a question”

When contacted, the congresswoman said she does not believe Israel is committing a genocide in Gaza. Clark visited Israel in 2015 and is endorsed by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC.

“Last week, while attending an event in my district, I repeated the word ‘genocide’ in response to a question. I want to be clear that I am not accusing Israel of genocide,” Clark said in a statement. “We all need to work with urgency to bring the remaining hostages home, surge aid to Palestinians and oppose their involuntary relocation, remove Hamas from power, and end the war.”

During the 2024 election cycle, AIPAC contributed around $400,000 to Clark’s campaign, according to federal campaign data.