By Update: As anticipated, the pro-Hamas protests of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, sarcastically dubbed “mostly peaceful” by onlookers, included violence and the burning of the American flag in Washington, D.C.
Mostly peaceful protests in DC right now. pic.twitter.com/hFwXVSwEWe
— Restoration of America (@Restoration_roa) July 24, 2024
Protesters cheer as a man spray-paints “HAMAS IS COMIN” on Columbus Fountain in Washington DC pic.twitter.com/tbh7t2NjyU
— Brendan Gutenschwager (@BGOnTheScene) July 24, 2024
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Wednesday is expected to be a day filled with heightened tensions and potential conflict outside the United States Capitol. The focus of this unrest is the scheduled speech by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to a joint session of Congress. This event has stirred significant controversy, leading to the organization of large-scale protests by pro-Palestinian groups. Both Republicans and Democrats have expressed concerns over the security implications of these demonstrations.
Security fencing back up around the Capitol ahead of Netanyahu speech tomorrow pic.twitter.com/ASOiisbaoK
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) July 23, 2024
Roll Call reports that “The Capitol Visitor Center and Library of Congress will be closed to tourists, and the U.S. Botanic Garden will shutter, right as plant lovers are enjoying the bloom of its iconic corpse flowers. U.S. Capitol Police are bracing for large-scale demonstrations.
‘For safety reasons, we never provide specific security details, but generally we can say that our plan includes adding more officers — including from several outside agencies — continuing our robust intelligence sharing with our partners, and ensuring that we have enough resources for our teams,’ a Capitol Police spokesperson said.
Vice President Kamala Harris, who is the president of the Senate and would be expected to preside over the meeting, has announced her refusal to attend.
The Daily Caller writes that both Republicans and Democrats have gotten nervous over the speech from Israel’s prime minister.
Some lawmakers are nervous that scores of pro-Palestinian protesters will swarm the Capitol out of retaliation for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s congressional address on Wednesday.
Netanyahu will deliver an address to a joint session of Congress to speak on the importance of maintaining a strong U.S.-Israel relationship. But a number of lawmakers who spoke to Axios fear for the security ramifications of Netanyahu’s speech, as some pro-Palestinian groups are expected to send tens of thousands of protesters to the Capitol that day.
“I, and I think every other Jewish person in America has increased security concerns because… the actions of these protesters have become more and more violent,” Democratic New York Rep. Dan Goldman told Axios.
Democratic New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, who is not attending Netanyahu’s speech, told Axios that her staff is “looking at the threat assessment” posed by protesters to assess whether she should even go to the Capitol on Wednesday.
The scheduled “protest” at the United States Capitol comes as Hamas released a video threatening next week’s Olympic Games in Paris.
🚨 Hamas threatens Olympics, promises “rivers of blood” in the streets of Paris.
They are a threat not just to Israel, but to the entire Western world. pic.twitter.com/ihOUzO3yzi— Michael Freund (@msfreund) July 23, 2024
Foreign Policy has reported an increase in warnings from policymakers and terrorism experts about a resurgence in terrorist threats, with some drawing parallels to the pre-9/11 period. Sporting events like the Olympics have historically been targets for terrorist attacks, a trend that adds a layer of anxiety to the current situation.
“The choice of sporting events as targets follows the logic of terrorism itself. After all, as longtime terrorism expert Brian Michael Jenkins famously declared, ‘Terrorism is theater.’ Targeting the most prominent sporting event, the Olympic Games, is an act that terrorists know would have the ability both to at once raise their profile and deal a lasting psychological blow to France.
Sporting events and the Olympics specifically—have been targeted over the years by groups and individuals motivated by a range of diverse ideologies. This famously includes the Black September massacre in Munich in 1972, when Palestinian militants killed two members of Israel’s Olympic team. In 1996, a terrorist named Eric Robert Rudolph, motivated by anti-abortion beliefs and a mixture of far-right views, including Christian Identity extremism, bombed the Atlanta Summer Olympics, directly killing one and injuring more than 100 others.”
Israeli athletes are particularly concerned, worrying about another terrorist attack similar to the one perpetrated against their country at the 1972 Games in Munich.
“Israeli athletes will receive around-the-clock protection for the Olympics after an anti-Israel far-left lawmaker called for protests against the delegation and said they are ‘not welcome in Paris.,’” reported The New York Post.
“After Portes’ declaration,” the newspaper noted, “French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin quickly took to the airwaves to announce the athletes would be protected continuously during the games.
The Palestinian Olympic Committee, which is sending eight athletes to compete in Paris, also came out against Israel’s participation, penning a letter outlining its objections to International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach.”
French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne offered reassurance to the athletes from Israel, saying, “I want to say on behalf of France, to the Israeli delegation, we welcome you to France for these Olympic Games.”
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