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. (RELATED: AOC Joins Harris Train Days After Bemoaning The VP’s Unpopularity Among Dems)
“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.
WASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 7: Demonstrators with a coalition of Pro-Palestinian groups attempt to block President Joe Biden’s motorcade route during a protest near the U.S. Capitol March, 7 2024, in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)
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.
Pro-Palestinian protests have consumed the U.S. since Israel launched a massive counteroffensive against Hamas — the terror group that attacked Israel on Oct. 7 and killed roughly 1,200 people — in Gaza, a region consisting mostly of Palestinians. Some protests have turned into violent riots, with protesters physically and verbally assaulting Jewish people or damaging and destroying infrastructure.
Major Pro-Palestinian groups such as the U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights, the Palestinian Youth Movement and American Muslims for Palestine have promised to descend on the Capitol on Wednesday and issued a call for protesters to arrest Netanyahu.
“Surround the U.S. Capitol and issue a notice of Citizen’s Arrest for Benjamin Netanyahu for crimes against humanity,” The People’s Forum New York City, another Palestinian group, said in a July post on social media, which was circulated by the aforementioned groups.
U.S. Capitol Police told the Daily Caller News Foundation that they are working with other law enforcement agencies to boost their security presence in anticipation of mass protests.
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“Since we were notified of the Prime Minister’s visit, we have been working around the clock with our federal, state and local partners to ensure that we are prepared,” a Capitol Police spokesperson told the DCNF, noting that specific security plans could not be shared due to safety reasons. “[But] 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.”
“We anticipate a large number of demonstrators to show up,” the spokesperson added.
Democratic lawmakers who spoke to Axios also expressed concern that Netanyahu’s speech will put Israeli issues back in the spotlight, as Israel’s counteroffensive operations in Gaza have largely ended, making it a less prominent issue in the U.S. political scene. Still, between 50 and 100 Democratic lawmakers will not attend Netanyahu’s speech out of protest for Israel’s operations in Gaza, one House Democrat told Axios.
“Today’s Monday and the speech is Wednesday, so I think it will quickly turn,” a senior House Democrat told Axios.
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