Protesters Confront Blinken with ‘War Criminal’ and ‘Butcher of Gaza’ Accusations Over Israel Policy
On May 21, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken faced intense verbal attacks from both sides of the Israel-Palestine conflict as he began his testimony before two Senate committees. Protesters labeled him a “war criminal” and dubbed him the “Secretary of Genocide,” accusing him of supporting a severe humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Despite Blinken’s reiterated support for Israel in line with the Biden administration, he encountered backlash from both the left and the right. He also emphasized that President Biden opposed Israel’s military actions in Rafah, where over a million displaced civilians sought refuge.
Addressing Republican criticisms that the administration had weakened its support for Israel by withholding a weapons shipment in its conflict with Hamas, Blinken asserted, “When it comes to making sure that Israel has everything it needs to defend itself, no one has, no one will do more than President Biden.”
He also expressed concerns about the military operation in Rafah: “We’ve been very clear in many conversations with Israeli leadership over the past months about our deep concerns about a major military operation in Rafah and the impact that would have on civilians.”
The hearing also touched on the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) announcement that prosecutor Karim Khan sought arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his defense minister, and key Hamas leaders, including Gaza’s top leader Yahya Sinwar, for alleged war crimes.
Republicans urged the Biden administration to respond to the ICC’s actions against Israel. Blinken condemned the ICC’s decision as “profoundly wrong-headed.” Democratic Senator Ben Cardin, chair of the foreign relations panel, agreed, calling it “a step in the wrong direction.”
During the hearing, demonstrators expressed their anger toward Blinken with banners and signs. One protester, who approached Blinken with a sign reading “criminal,” was escorted out. The Senate Foreign Relations and Senate Appropriations Committees had to pause Blinken’s testimony multiple times due to protests accusing him of fueling “genocide” against Palestinians.
Some protesters silently held up red-painted hands symbolizing blood, echoing demonstrations by the anti-war group CODEPINK in November 2023. Several protesters calling for a Gaza ceasefire during Blinken’s testimony were arrested.
After the hearing, protesters continued to accuse Blinken of “genocide” in the hallways. Videos of these confrontations were shared on CODEPINK’s social media. One post captioned, “This is how we greeted Secretary Blinken as he left this morning’s hearing. He will always be remembered as the Secretary of Genocide, Butcher of Gaza!” went viral.
Another post showed “member Nicole” being taken away by authorities after confronting Blinken at Capitol Hill. The caption read, “BLINKEN CONTINUES TO BE CONFRONTED. Our member Nicole just confronted Secretary of State Antony Blinken as he testifies to the House Appropriations Committee over his support of the genocide in Gaza. We should be arresting war criminals like Blinken, not people who just want peace, justice, and freedom for the Palestinian people!”
A viral TikTok video, also circulating on X/Twitter, showed Blinken being heckled as he walked towards the elevators. Someone can be heard saying, “If you were a decent man, you would walk yourself to The Hague.”
During the Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing that afternoon, Blinken stated his intention to work with Senator Lindsey Graham to penalize the ICC for seeking arrest warrants against Israeli leaders on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
President Biden, a day before the hearing, had denounced the ICC’s move while commemorating Jewish American Heritage Month at the White House, stating, “It’s clear Israel wants to do all it can to ensure civilian protection… Let me be clear: What’s happening is not genocide.”
Echoing the President’s sentiments, Blinken asserted that the “ICC has no jurisdiction over this matter,” warning that this development could impede their efforts to negotiate a ceasefire deal.
