Demonstrators protest against Israel’s military policies at the Cannon House office building at the Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday.
J. Scott Applewhite/AP
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J. Scott Applewhite/AP
About 200 demonstrators who were conducting a sit-in against the Gaza war were arrested on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, according to U.S. Capitol Police, a day before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed a joint session of Congress.
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The protest was coordinated by Jewish Voice for Peace, which it says is “the largest progressive Jewish anti-Zionist organization in the world.”
The group said in a statement that 400 people had been arrested, including more than a dozen rabbis.
The protest came a day before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was scheduled to address a joint session of Congress, where he faces criticism at home and abroad. He also plans to meet with President Biden on Wednesday and Vice President Harris later this week.
Protest organizers condemned Netanyahu’s meeting with U.S. officials.
“For nine months, we have watched in horror as the Israeli government, armed and funded by the United States Congress, committed genocide, and today the Biden administration has the power to end this terror,” said Stephanie Fox, executive director of Jewish Voice for Peace. said a statement on the organization’s website. “Instead, our president is preparing to meet with Netanyahu, and the congressional leadership has invited him to address Congress. Enough is enough.
The organization also called on the United States to stop sending weapons to Israel.
Demonstrations are allowed in certain parts of the Capitol, but permits must be obtained. Police said they warned protesters they would be arrested if they did not disperse.
