Thousands of protestors descended on Washington, D.C. yesterday promoting terrorist organizations in opposition to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Joint Address to Congress.
Tensions over the Israeli-Hamas war reached a peak in the nation’s capital yesterday when thousands of agitators descended on Capitol Hill to protest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Joint Address to Congress.
Inside the Capitol building, Prime Minister Netanyahu delivered a passionate speech – his first address to U.S. lawmakers since Hamas’ October 7 terrorist attack on Israel – about the importance of the U.S.-Israel relationship. Outside, against the backdrop of the Capitol surrounded by tall fencing and hundreds of police officers, the mob burned effigies of the Prime Minister and waved the flags of Hamas and Hezbollah. One protestor’s sign read “Allah is gathering all the Zionists for the Final Solution”, and another protestor held up a replica guillotine painted like the Palestinian flag.
Violence quickly erupted as protestors attempting to break through the police barricades and assault officers were met with pepper spray. They swarmed D.C.’s historic Union Station, vandalizing and defacing monuments with phrases like “Hamas is coming”. The most shocking image was when some of the protestors took down and burned the three American flags that fly outside the train station while the crowd cheered and chanted “Allahu Akbar” and replaced them with Palestinian flags.
This was a well-organized and well-funded event. The protestors were bussed in, and signs were ready for them when they arrived. They had speakers like Green Party candidate Jill Stein and progressive activist Linda Sarsour. In a July 9, 2024, press release by the U.S. Director of National Intelligence, “Iranian government actors have sought to opportunistically take advantage of ongoing protests regarding the war in Gaza” and detailed how they also have provided financial support to protestors.
Almost half of Congressional Democrats skipped Mr. Netanyahu’s address as their own form of protest against the only Jewish state in the world. One noticeably absent individual was the Vice President and presumptive Democrat Presidential Nominee, Kamala Harris, who chose to instead attend a college sorority event in Indianapolis.
Protecting the right to free speech does not categorically include burning the American flag out of disrespect, and many are rightfully outraged over the actions of the protestors yesterday.
In the weeks leading up to the Prime Minister’s visit, the anti-Israel group Shut It Down commanded their followers to “Surround the US Capitol and issue a notice of citizen’s arrest for Netanyahu for crimes against humanity”. While they failed in their mission, they made a point clear from Netanyahu’s speech – Israel’s enemies are America’s enemies.
