In a recent development, Jill Stein, the Green Party's presidential nominee, has publicly criticized the U.S. Congress for its response to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
This comes following the warm reception Netanyahu received from House and Senate Republicans during his address in the House chamber.
Stein took to social media platform X to express her disapproval, according to Newsweek. She shared two contrasting videos: one showcasing Netanyahu's standing ovation in Congress, and the other displaying a montage of wounded children, fleeing civilians, and destroyed buildings, presumably in Gaza.
Stein's accompanying message was a direct call to Netanyahu, stating, "@netanyahu we demand that you immediately RESIGN as Prime Minister and surrender yourself to authorities. Congress may clap for war criminals, but we the people will bring you to justice."
The shared clip has garnered significant attention on X, reflecting the contentious nature of Netanyahu's visit to Congress amidst the ongoing Gaza conflict. Concurrently, thousands of protestors took to the streets of Washington D.C., expressing their dissent through graffiti and replacing American flags with Palestinian ones. As the demonstration intensified, several protestors were detained by the police, as reported by the BBC.
In anticipation of potential disruptions to Netanyahu's address, House Speaker Mike Johnson issued a cautionary letter to guests and lawmakers. This did not deter several officials, including Republican GOP Representative Thomas Massie and over a dozen Democratic lawmakers, from boycotting the event due to either protest or scheduling conflicts.
Michigan Representative Rashida Tlaib, of Palestinian descent with family in the West Bank, made her stance clear by displaying signs reading "war criminal" and "guilty of genocide" during Netanyahu's speech. Vice President Kamala Harris also distanced herself from the event, announcing she would neither greet Netanyahu upon his arrival nor attend his speech. However, both Harris and President Joe Biden are scheduled to meet with Netanyahu later this week.
The Gaza conflict, which began on October 7, 2023, following a Hamas attack on Israel that resulted in 1,200 deaths and approximately 250 hostages, continues to escalate. The Gaza Health Ministry reports that in the ensuing nine months, Israeli military offensives have led to the death of an estimated 39,000 Palestinians and displaced over 2.1 million.
During his address, Netanyahu asserted, "Israel will fight until we destroy Hamas' military capabilities and its rule in Gaza and bring all our hostages home," and implored the U.S. to continue its support of Israel. As the conflict continues, the world watches, waiting to see how the international community will respond to this ongoing crisis.
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