Pro-Palestine protesters burn US flag as Israel PM Netanyahu gives speech to Congress
Pro-Palestine protesters burn US flag as Israel PM Netanyahu gives speech to Congress
REUTERS
Pro-Palestine protesters have burnt a Star Spangled Banner as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered his speech at Congress.
A group of demonstrators burnt the American flag outside of Union Station in Washington, DC.
Protesters also hoisted a Palestinian flag in its place and vandalised monuments outside by writing “Free Gaza”.
An effigy of Netanyahu was also burnt outside the station.
An effigy of the Israeli Prime Minister was also burnt outside Union Station
REUTERSFootage from the scene showed a man trying to rescue the charred American flag.
He was chased down by screaming protesters but managed to get away.
Netanyahu appeared to make reference to pro-Palestine protesters during his address to Congress.
The Israeli Prime Minister said: “Well I have a message for these protestors: when the tyrants of Tehran who hang gays from cranes and murder women for not covering their hair, are praising, promoting and funding you, you have officially become Iran’s useful idiots.”
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Netanyahu appeared to make reference to pro-Palestine protesters during his address to Congress
Reuters
Netanyahu continued: “We were accused of everything from poisoning wells, spreading plagues, to using the blood of children to bake Passover matzahs.
“These preposterous antisemitic lies led to persecution, mass murder and ultimately, to history’s worst genocide: the Holocaust.”
The 74-year-old added: “The outrageous slanders that paint Israel as racist and genocidal are meant to delegitimise Israel, to demonise the Jewish state and to demonise Jews everywhere.
“And no wonder we’ve witnessed an appalling rise in antisemitism in America and around the world.
A pro-Palestinian demonstrator waves a Palestinian flag with the Capitol dome seen in the background
REUTERS
“My friends, whenever and wherever we see the scourge of antisemitism we must unequivocally condemn it and resolutely fight it, without exceptions.”
However, Democrat Representative Jamie Raskin accused Netanyahu of making a speech for Trump’s Grand Old Party.
He said: “We didn’t hear anything about meaningful progress towards a bilateral ceasefire in return for hostages.
“We didn’t hear anything about peace. We didn’t hear anything about a two-state solution, which has been US foreign policy for decades.”
Hamas also issued a response to Netanyahu’s speech, claiming an alliance with Israel is “treason to the blood of martyrs”.