Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to Washington this week sparked a significant wave of protests throughout the U.S. capital. Demonstrators who opposed to Netanyahu’s address to a joint session of Congress and President Joe Biden’s continued military and financial support for Israel staged various actions, leading to several arrests that were made by the Capitol Police.
On Tuesday, Jewish Voice for Peace activists conducted a sit-in outside a congressional office building, leading to multiple arrests. The previous evening, hundreds gathered outside Netanyahu’s hotel in protest, and on Tuesday, a flashmob-style demonstration took place in the Cannon Building, home to many House of Representatives offices. Protesters donned red T-shirts with the slogan “Not In Our Name” and chanted “Let Gaza Live!” while seated on the floor.
Netanyahu, accompanied by his wife Sarah and his delegation, is staying at the Watergate Hotel in Washington, D.C. However, his stay has been far from peaceful. The DC Palestinian Youth Movement reportedly released maggots and crickets on banquet tables and across multiple floors of the hotel, as shown in a video shared by X user Eyal Yakoby. Protesters also triggered fire alarms for over half an hour, severely disrupting guests, including Netanyahu.
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A statement from the protesters read, “May their dreams be haunted by the death of our people and the decay of their society.” Outside the hotel, an Arab demonstrator shouted, “Allahu Akbar! Hamas!” and directed insults at a pro-Israel counter-protester, saying, “We gonna win! You coward!” and “Take Biden and all the Jewish lobby and go to Alaska!” He added a direct threat, “Netanyahu we’re going to take his neck off!”
In response to the protests, extensive security measures have been implemented around the Watergate Hotel. Hundreds of law enforcement officers from neighboring states, including at least 200 NYPD officers, have been deployed to manage the large-scale demonstrations expected during Netanyahu’s speech to Congress.
Adding to the controversy, around fifty Democratic senators and representatives, including Vice President Kamala Harris, who is the Senate President, have chosen to boycott Netanyahu’s address. Harris, who typically presides over joint sessions, opted instead to attend a sorority event, signaling significant political division over the Israeli leader’s visit.
