As Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gears up for his July 24 address to the U.S. Congress, various demonstrations are occurring, with more slated. Tuesday saw hundreds of Jewish peace activists take over the rotunda building at the Capitol to demand “Ceasefire Now” and “Stop Arming Israel,” before the police came in to make arrests and rip their signs away from them. Tuesday night, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum and the families of Israeli hostages plan to gather near the Capitol, calling on Netanyahu to stop stalling and to conclude the deal to bring their loved ones home. On Wednesday morning, Churches for Middle East Peace, a coalition of religious denominations and organizations, will host a prayer vigil near the Capitol. In the afternoon, a large demonstration is expected, organized by ANSWER ("Act Now to Stop War and End Racism"), protesting that the invitation to Netanyahu, in defiance of his genocidal actions, is shameful; and that those doing so are on record as approving of such actions. Code Pink is a major participant in the ANSWER alliance.
U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson’s office was asked yesterday whether he stood by his earlier threat, made last week at the Republican convention, to arrest protesters, assumedly in the Capitol. (That threat was: “There are a number of Democrats in the House who have said they’re going to boycott the event. And then some others are going to protest. We’re going to have extra sergeants-at-arms on the floor. If anybody gets out of hand … we’re going to arrest people if we have to do it.") His office refused to comment, so apparently that means the threat is live.
