CBC members protest Israeli prime minister’s address to Congress

By Ashlee Banks
Special to the AFRO

Some members of the Congressional Black Caucus opted against attending Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s joint session address to Congress.

On July 24, the Israeli leader spoke to members of the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate to discuss the longstanding relationship between the Middle Eastern nation and the United States.

Netanyahu also used the hour-long speech to declare that he would have “total victory” in the Israel-Hamas conflict.

U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) did not attend Netanyahu’s speech and said Congress should not lend its “platform to a war criminal.” 

“I continue to grieve for nearly 40,000 Palestinians killed by the Israeli military,” said Pressley in a statement. “The violence and bloodshed we have seen over the last nine months is devastating.” 

U.S. Rep. Jamaal Bowman, (D-N.Y.) was also absent from the address and said Congressional leaders made a bad call by inviting Netanyahu to the Capitol grounds.

“I am disgusted and horrified by Netanyahu’s violent and bigoted speech to the joint session of Congress, but I am not surprised,” said Bowman in a statement. “It was completely predictable that he would use this as an opportunity to fearmonger and tell lies to try and win support and funding for his indiscriminate bombing campaign.”  

In total, more than 100 Democratic members on both the House and Senate side skipped the prime minister’s address.  

Lawmakers were not the only ones displeased with Netanyahu’s visit. While the Israeli leader was speaking to Congress, a large group of demonstrators gathered near Union Station to protest Netanyahu’s speech. During the demonstration, protestors removed three American flags and replaced them with Palestinian flags. While some protestors burned at least one of the American flags, others spray-painted words like “Hamas,” “Gaza,” “Genocide Joe,” and “Child Killers” on a monument just feet away from the station’s entrance.

On the evening of July 24, House Republicans were spotted replacing the Palestinian flags with American flags.

The very next morning, Washington, D.C. city workers were seen removing the graffiti from the monument.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) condemned the protests, saying “there is a difference between lawful expression and disorderly conduct.”

“Defacing public property, desecrating the American flag, threatening Jews with violence and promoting terrorist groups like Hamas is not acceptable under any circumstance,” said Jeffries in a statement.

The protest came a day after pro-Palestinian demonstrators participated in a sit-in at the U.S. Capitol ahead of Netanyahu’s visit. Nearly 400 demonstrators with Jewish Voice for Peace staged the protest. At least 200 were arrested for crowding, obstructing or incommoding in the Cannon House Office Building. 

The Israeli prime minister’s visit comes nearly 10 months after the Israel-Hamas conflict began. On Oct. 7, Hamas launched an attack against Israel, abducting 251 people and killing 1,200 Israelis. Since October, Israel has engaged in countless attacks against Palestinians, resulting in the deaths of nearly 40,000 people, mostly women and children. 

Bowman said Congress should be focused on the safety of Palestinians and ensuring that they do not have to live in a constant state of fear.

“It’s our responsibility to uplift the shared humanity of all people and work together toward peace,” said the Democratic lawmaker.

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