By Jerald Jimenez
31 Oct 2023, 3:37 PM EDT
A meeting of the Senate Appropriations Committee, in which Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke, had an uncomfortable episode, as it was interrupted several times by pro-Palestinian protesters who began to demonstrate against Israel.
Blinken was with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin discussing the need to send an additional aid package to Ukraine during the meeting. However, as he began his testimony thanking the committee for the opportunity to speak, he was interrupted almost immediately by a white-haired man who began shouting about the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
The subject described the war as “collective punishment” and condemned the “bombing of a densely populated population.”
During his speech, other members of the audience raised their red-painted hands to represent the blood spilled in the war. Protesters shouted slogans such as “Palestinians are not bad,” and demanded a ceasefire.
Despite the interruptions, Blinken continued his testimony, emphasizing how the Biden administration is “defending our values, not backing down” in the face of challenges on the world stage.
Although he continued with the speech, the loudest interruption came when a group began chanting: “From Palestine to Mexico, all the walls have to fall,” while a woman in the group accused Blinken of having “blood on his hands” before of being expelled from the room.
Blinken, a descendant of Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe, has defended Israel’s efforts to combat Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip and reiterated US support for one of its greatest allies in the Middle East.
The Biden administration has repeatedly warned Israel to be cautious in its ground incursion, citing the risk of civilian casualties in Gaza.
With information from New York Post