U.S. Representative Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN-03) stood against pro-Hamas activists who followed Fleischmann through a Capitol Hill hallway and repeatedly accused him of supporting genocide on Wednesday.
Fleischmann told activists, who captured their encounter with him on a video posted to X that he would “always” support Israel.
Women, children, and men in Gaza are being starved and massacred by American-backed Israeli forces everyday, and this Congressman says: "Goodbye Palestine" @codepink pic.twitter.com/da53wqtPtB
— Medea Benjamin (@medeabenjamin) March 6, 2024
Someone approached Fleischmann and accused him of supporting supposed “genocide” and “war crimes” perpetrated by Israel.
“Let me make it clear,” Fleischmann said. “Israel is our ally, will always be our ally, and they are not guilty of genocide, and I will support Israel forever.”
“I will always support Israel,” the representative continued, talking to another person questioning him. “And you can tell the Palestinians I will never support them.”
The person answered that he was a Palestinian, to which Fleischmann said, “Then I will tell you, I will never support you. I will tell you to your face, ‘Goodbye to Palestine.'”
Medea Benjamin, a cofounder of CODEPINK, posted the video. Benjamin’s organization is a feminist activist group that works for government healthcare, the climate change agenda, and ending “U.S. warfare and imperialism,” according to its website. The group holds regular rallies calling for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict.
“We cannot pretend to be shocked by the resistance of the Palestinians, which follows 20 years of non-violent activism that has fallen on the deaf ears of those in power,” the group said about the October 7, 2023, attack in a statement asking readers to call on President Joe Biden to end the conflict. Hamas terrorists infiltrated Israel’s borders, killed 1,200 people, and kidnapped 240 people.
Benjamin was present at the Capitol Wednesday with other CODEPINK protesters. The far-left organization’s cofounder donned a costume meant to resemble a concentration camp uniform, according to another video posted to X. The costume displayed a symbol resembling the Palestinian flag and some writing saying the U.S. had spent $300 billion in aid to Israel, which is approximately how much the U.S. has given Israel in aid since Israel’s founding after adjusting for inflation, according to the Council on Foreign Relations.
People in Gaza are being starved, put into concentration camps, and massacred.
Never again means never again for anyone.@medeabenjamin pic.twitter.com/NAHptZT9Wj
— CODEPINK (@codepink) March 6, 2024
“As a Jewish person, I think it’s important to recognize that the Israelis are doing to the people of Palestine, especially in Gaza, what was done to them, our people, in the Holocaust,” Benjamin said in the video.
On Thursday, Fleishmann posted a statement to X addressing his encounter with the protesters.
The United States of America will always stand together with Israel and against evil radical terrorists and their supporters! pic.twitter.com/NIBGlshOZO
— Chuck Fleischmann (@RepChuck) March 7, 2024
“Tennesseans and Americans nationwide are fed up with this small, antisemitic movement that refuses to acknowledge Israel’s right to exist and defend itself,” Fleischmann stated.
“There is no security for anyone as long as terrorists have any safe haven to plot and carry out their evil intentions,” Fleischmann continued. “I will always stand against the antisemitic Far Left and neo-Marxists who hate America and seek the dissolution of Israel.”
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Matthew Giffin is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Matthew on X/Twitter.
Photo “Chuck Fleischmann” by Medea Benjamin.Â
