Rep. Brad Schneider (D-Ill.) condemned the “shameful” vandalism outside his Capitol Hill office and antisemitic demonstrations in Chicago on Independence Day, accusing those involved of aiding Hamas terrorists.
“My Capitol office was vandalized yesterday in a vile act of hate in which the posters of the more than 100 people still held hostage in Gaza (including 8 Americans) were ripped from the wall, shredded and tossed across the hallway,” Schneider, who is Jewish, posted Friday on X. “This was a shameful act on any day, but especially on July 4, our country’s Independence Day. Sadly, it was but one of many hateful, un-American actions that took place across the country on the day we celebrate freedom and democracy,” he said.
“We are aware and investigating,” a spokesperson for US Capitol Police told The Post. “To protect the investigation, we cannot provide any more information at this time.”
Schneider, co-founder and co-chair of the bipartisan Abraham Accords Caucus to strengthen Israel’s standing in the Middle East, expressed his disgust at “the videos and reports of individuals calling July 4th a ‘terrorist holiday’ and burning American flags.”
“It’s not just happening at my office in Washington, DC,” Schneider continued in an X thread. “More than 700 miles from the Capitol, my home was targeted last weekend at 2:30AM by approximately 50 masked demonstrators banging drums, blowing horns and screaming antisemitic chants.”
“The same groups that were at my house earlier in the week marched through Chicago on July 4th, not calling for peace, but rather condemning the United States of America,” he added.
“These actions don’t advance peace,” Schneider stated. “Instead, they play directly into the hands of Hamas terrorists enabling them to continue to hold hostage not only those they kidnapped from Israel, but all civilians in Gaza as well.”
The Illinois Democrat is the latest lawmaker targeted by anti-Israel protesters, with demonstrations leading to vandalism, a trend seen in various US cities since Hamas’ Oct. 7 massacre. Thousands of protesters converged on the White House in mid-June, defacing federal monuments with pro-Hamas slogans, but no arrests were made.
Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) from South Bronx also faced vandalism at his district office by “anti-Israel extremists” on Christmas Day 2023, with blood-red paint splattered over a Jesus Christ child doll. “Covered in ‘blood’ is a doll meant to symbolize Jesus, whom the vandals describe as a ‘Palestinian child messiah,’” Torres posted on X. “The escalation in intimidation and incitement against Members of Congress feels like it is heading in a dangerous direction,” he noted. “I, for one, will not be intimidated.”
The Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza has caused rifts within the Democratic Party during a crucial election year, with far-left “Squad” members opposing military aid to Israel and calling for a cease-fire before Hamas’ elimination.
Hamas terrorists killed nearly 1,200 people on Oct. 7, 2023, mostly civilians, including 33 Americans. Another 240 were kidnapped and taken to Gaza. In response, Schneider and other Democrats voted in November to censure Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) for defending the terror attack as justified “resistance” and calling for the elimination of the Jewish state.
Pro-Israel Democrats have backed Israel’s military efforts while sometimes criticizing the leadership of both Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu and President Biden. In May, Schneider joined 25 House Democrats in a letter expressing concern over the Biden administration’s pause on an Israeli weapons shipment, warning that it would embolden Hamas.
{CB Frommer – Matzav.com}