(Photo Credit: Local 3 News) From our partners at Local 3 News: Republican U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann declared he would support Israel forever and d
(Photo Credit: Local 3 News)
From our partners at Local 3 News: Republican U.S. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann declared he would support Israel forever and declared “Goodbye to Palestine” in a video posted Wednesday, in which he and pro-Palestinian activists yelled over one another.
What the congressmen from Southeast Tennessee meant by the statement remains unclear. His spokesperson did not respond to a phone call or several questions sent by email Wednesday morning.
The minute-and-half long video of the exchange, posted Wednesday by the activist group Codepink, has amassed tens of thousands of views on YouTube and social media. It shows Fleischmann in a blue suit and red tie walking briskly down a hallway as activists pepper him with questions.
“Why do you support the genocide and all of the war crimes and collective punishment?” an activist asked. “Are you concerned about all the children dying in Gaza?”
Fleischmann’s opponent Jack Allen issued the following statement about the video:
“Yesterday, a video emerged on social media showing pro-Palestine protestors intercepting Rep. Chuck Fleischmann in the chambers of Congress. In the video, the protestors exasperate Fleischmann by asking whether or not he acknowledges Palestinian casualties, causing him to fly off the handle and repeatedly shout, “Goodbye to Palestine.” I am disappointed in Fleischmann’s use of such hostility at a time when division among Americans is at an all-time high. This behavior is inappropriate for a Congressman; our nation’s leaders must tackle difficult questions without resorting to anger and calling for the eradication of an entire nation.
“We are well past the need for a ceasefire in this conflict. The unnecessary killing of innocent civilians is unbearable to watch, and ending hostilities is the only way to facilitate a peaceful, long-term solution. I believe there are means to resolve the humanitarian crisis in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, starting with strengthening America’s leadership on the world stage. There are lives at stake — and emotional responses only lead to further harm.”
