Thousands of anti-Israel protesters raged outside the White House even as Israeli forces conducted a successful hostage rescue operation Saturday.
The protesters argued that Israel has crossed a “red line” of “genocide” in Gaza. Meanwhile, Israel explained details of its weeks-long plans for Saturday’s hostage rescue mission, which saved the lives of four Israeli citizens who were captured during Hamas’ October 7 attack.
Protesters remained outraged with President Biden’s policies toward Israel and its conduct in Gaza, however.
“The intention is to draw a red line where Biden won’t draw one when it comes to Israel’s genocide in Gaza, and say we as the people are drawing the red line today to say enough is enough,” Nas Issa, a protester from the Palestinian Youth Movement, told NBC News. “It’s time for an arms embargo, and it’s time to end this.”
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Another protester told the outlet that she regrets voting for Biden in 2020 and that she “will never vote for him again.”
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The IDF said the hostages, three men and one woman, were rescued in the largest such hostage recovery operation since the war with Hamas began in Gaza.
Noa Argamani, 26, was rescued at one site, while Almog Meir Jan, 22, Shlomi Ziv, 41, and Andrey Kozlov, 27, were taken from the second location. Argamani has been one of the most widely recognized hostages since video of her abduction was among the first to surface. She can be seen in the video between two men on a motorcycle with one arm outstretched and the other held down as she screams, “Don’t kill me!”
Officers of the National Police special anti-terror unit of Yamam along with Shin Bet agents simultaneously raided two Hamas buildings to pluck the hostages to safety. Argamani was rescued at one site, while Meir Jan, Kozlov, and Ziv were at the second location.
During the operation, Chief Inspector Arnon Zmora, an officer in the special anti-terror unit of Yamam, was critically injured and later died.
Protesters outside the White House, meanwhile, chanted slogans against Zionism and appeared to call for Israel to be wiped off the map.
“We don’t want no two state, we’re taking back ’48,” protesters could be heard chanting. The slogan refers to the year in which Israel was established following a UN partition plan that would have also created a Palestinian state. Instead, Arab nations attacked Israel, and after being defeated, Egypt took control of the Gaza Strip and Jordan controlled the West Bank.
White House spokesman Andrew Bates said President Biden respects protesters’ rights to be heard, but that any endorsement of terrorism was unacceptable.
“President Biden has always been clear that every American has the right to peacefully express their views,” Bates said. “But he has also always been clear that antisemitism, violent rhetoric, and endorsing murderous terrorist organizations like Hamas is repugnant, dangerous, and against everything we stand for as a country.”
Fox News’ Michael Dorgan contributed to this report
