US Vice President, Kamala Harris, has spoken out against the tenor of protests against Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, who recently addressed the US Congress.
At a protest in Washington, Hamas flags were on display, and the American flag was torched. One protestor held a sign reading “Allah is gathering all the Zionists for the ‘Final Solution’”, which is an apparent reference to the Nazi Holocaust.
“I condemn any individuals associating with the brutal terrorist organization Hamas, which has vowed to annihilate the State of Israel and kill Jews. Pro-Hamas graffiti and rhetoric is abhorrent and we must not tolerate it in our nation,” she said in an official statement.
She added that burning the American flag was unacceptable, as it represented “our highest ideals as a nation”.
Harris had been criticised for missing Netanyahu’s address. She has also attracted some criticism for her perceived lukewarm attitude towards Israel. Having now been tipped as the likely candidate for the Democratic Party’s presidential bid, a clearer stance in favour of Israel is likely to be seen as a necessity.