Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu landed in Washington D.C. Wednesday to address Congress. His trip and speech come at a critical time as his country is set to enter its tenth month of war in Gaza following the barbaric attacks by Hamas on October 7th, 2023.
Netanyahu aimed to shore up support with American political leaders as pressure to end the war has intensified among international organizations and anti-Israel protests here in America continue to rage, including yesterday.
Thousands of protestors descended on Washington D.C. Wednesday to voice their opposition to Prime Minister Netanyahu addressing Congress. Protestors rallied near the Capitol before starting their march with a group breaking off in an attempt to block the Prime Minister from reaching the Capitol but were ultimately prevented by police.
After the Prime Minister’s arrival, things grew violent outside of Union Station, where throngs of protestors, some donning the colors and flying flags associated with Hamas, started to vandalize fountains and set things ablaze. A replica of Philadelphia’s historic Liberty Bell, a symbol of our founding and freedom, was completely covered in graffiti.
Outside Union Station in DC now. Lots of vandalism of the statues and Freedom Bell, including big praise for Hamas. pic.twitter.com/1D6XCMFX5j
— Katie Pavlich (@KatiePavlich) July 24, 2024
“Bibi, Bibi, We’re not done! The intifada has just begun!” protesters shouted along with ‘Allahu Akbar!” as American flags were pulled off the building and burned out front.
People are currently burning the American flag in our nation’s capitol while yelling “Allahu Akbar.”
pic.twitter.com/H5uh7l8JfC— Greg Price (@greg_price11) July 24, 2024
Fox News reported that a man who walked by the protests and remarked he was Jewish and was offended by the language and demonstrations, was chased down the street by protestors. A Fox reporter asked the demonstrators why they followed the man to which they responded because he was “White and Jewish.”
Vice President Kamala Harris, who notably skipped the Prime Minister’s address to Congress, waited until Tuesday morning to make a denouncement on her official Twitter account.
Read my full statement on the protests in Washington, D.C. yesterday. pic.twitter.com/zJpZvdQDt9
— Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) July 25, 2024
Businessman Dave McCormick, the Republican nominee for Senate in Pennsylvania took to social media to condemn the violent protests and to slam Vice President Harris for her refusal to attend Netanyahu’s address.
“Kamala Harris supporters Josh Shapiro and Bob Casey should call her out for boycotting Netanyahu’s speech with other leftists, wrote McCormick on X. “You either stand with Israel or you don’t. They can’t have it both ways.”
Pennsylvania’s junior Senator John Fetterman (D, PA), who is one of the most vocally pro-Israel Democrats in Congress, was notably silent regarding the Union Station Protests. His counterpart Senator Bob Casey (D, PA) condemned the unrest, writing “Americans have the right to peacefully protest, but the glorification and celebration of a terrorist group like Hamas is dangerous and unacceptable”.
After the chaos was quelled, a contingent of Republican Congressmen including Speaker Mike Johson visited the destruction site to return the American flag to its rightful place atop the historic metro hub.
We raised the flags back up🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Earlier today, terrorist sympathizers tore down the American flags at Union Station, burned them, and raised the Palestinian flag in its place. After votes tonight, a group of members, including many veterans and the Speaker of the House, took… pic.twitter.com/hYbqLmxe21
— Dan Crenshaw (@DanCrenshawTX) July 25, 2024
“We recognize that they flew Palestinian flags on these poles. It is outrageous, they were pulled down thankfully” said Speaker Johnson to the press as other members restored the American flags.
As far as consequences for the vandalism, the dust is still settling. The Washington Post reports that 23 protest-related arrests were made across Washington, but prosecutors have already dropped charges in 11 misdemeanor cases.
