House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said the anti-Semitism, unrest, and the promotion of terrorist groups at pro-Palestinian protests during Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's D.C. visit were "not acceptable."
"Defacing public property, desecrating the American flag, threatening Jews with violence and promoting terrorist groups like Hamas is not acceptable under any circumstance," Jeffries said in a July 25, 2024 statement. "There is a difference between lawful expression and disorderly conduct. Anyone who violates the law must be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law."
Protesters in Washington, D.C., clashed with police and burned U.S. flags after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's address to Congress on July 24, reported The Hill. The demonstration, which involved scuffles and anti-Israel graffiti, led to arrests and the revocation of the protest permit. Inside the Capitol, Netanyahu condemned the protesters and accused them of supporting terrorism, while many Democratic lawmakers boycotted his speech.
On July 16, Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO and national director of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), delivered opening remarks at the J7 press conference. “Jews are in the crosshairs worldwide. We have experienced this every day since October 7, with Jews and our institutions being threatened and targeted," he said. "Let me be clear: there is no place in a democracy for political violence, period. There is also no place for senseless, hateful antisemitism. None of this should be normalized.”
According to the organization’s website, the ADL's mission is rooted in the belief that combating any single form of prejudice requires addressing all forms of prejudice. As part of this mission, the ADL also works to reconcile and rehabilitate individuals who have expressed anti-Semitic views in the past, fostering understanding and promoting inclusivity.
The ADL has consistently exemplified this type of educational and restorative dialogue. In 2022, ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt wrote about his unexpected friendship with Damien Patton, the former CEO of Banjo - an early AI tech company, who is a disavowed white supremacist. This friendship underscores the broader themes in the ADL’s work to combat hate and build inclusive communities.
"It’s tempting to want to 'cancel' people like Damien once and for all, and of course moral censure is important when people don’t repent and cling stubbornly to repugnant views," Greenblatt said. "But we should reserve such censure for the worst culprits, those whose serial offenses over a long period demonstrate a deep refusal to change or even acknowledge an alternative point of view."
Jeffries represents the Eighth Congressional District of New York and is serving his sixth term in the United States Congress. He is the Democrat House Minority Leader, having been unanimously elected to that position by his colleagues in November 2022. In that capacity, he is the highest-ranking Democrat in the House of Representatives. He previously served as the Chair of the Democratic Caucus, Whip of the Congressional Black Caucus and co-chaired the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee where he helped develop the For The People agenda.
