(The Center Square) – Pro-Palestine protesters took over Congressman Greg Stanton’s district office in Mesa, Arizona, on Monday.
Clips of the protest went viral, as the chants included controversial slogans including “Judaism yes, Zionism no” and “Israel has got to go,” according to a video posted to X, formerly known as Twitter.
The Democratic lawmaker condemned the demonstration and said he was “disgusted by the anti-Semitic, inflammatory language that was used” in the videos that he “personally reviewed.”
“I will not meet with anyone who will not renounce hate speech,” he wrote in a letter on Tuesday.
However, Stanton added that he has previously met with people who have different thoughts on the Israel-Hamas War in the wake of the October 7th attacks.
“I respect the First Amendment right of every American to make their voice heard through peaceful protest, and I have personally met with Arizonans on all sides of this issue since the horrific attacks against Israel on October 7th. Respectful dialogue regarding American policy is always welcome,” he stated at the opening of his letter.
Tensions across the United States have been enflamed on the issue since the attacks, with many opponents saying that the response from Israel has been disproportionate and some even calling for the state of Israel to be eradicated. Protests on college campuses made waves nationwide this spring, as some schools saw pro-Palestine encampments and counter-demonstrations.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is slated to address a joint session of Congress on Wednesday, as the United States continues to provide military funding to the Jewish-majority Middle Eastern nation as the war rages on. Netanyahu is also expected to face protests before his speech, and demonstrations are expected outside the Democratic National Convention next month as well.
