Pro-Palestinian activists posted video Wednesday showing their heated confrontation with Republican Tennessee Rep. Chuck Fleischmann.
The clip, which bears the watermark of anti-war group Codepink, shows Fleischmann saying, “Goodbye to Palestine” as two activists chase him down a hallway and into an elevator in the Rayburn House Office Building.
“You can tell the Palestinians I will never support them!” the congressman said at the start of the footage.
“Why do you support the genocide and all of the war crimes and collective punishment? Are you concerned about all the children dying in Gaza?” a female activist filming the encounter asked Fleischmann.
Codepink describes itself as “a feminist grassroots organization working to end U.S. warfare and imperialism,” has called for the resumption of abortion services in Gaza and recently posted a tweet praising Venezuelan socialist dictator Hugo Chávez.
“Let me make it clear, let me make it clear,” Fleischmann told the activists. “Israel is our ally, will always be our ally, and they are not guilty of genocide, and I will support Israel forever.”
Women, children, and men in Gaza are being starved and massacred by American-backed Israeli forces everyday, and this Congressman says: “Goodbye Palestine” @codepink pic.twitter.com/da53wqtPtB
— Medea Benjamin (@medeabenjamin) March 6, 2024
Hamas, an Islamic terror group, killed more than 1,000 people and took several hostages during an attack against Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Since then, Israel has launched a sweeping counteroffensive operation to eradicate Hamas from the region. Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry puts the Gazan death toll at over 30,000. (RELATED: Kamala Harris Calls For ‘Immediate Ceasefire’ In Gaza)
“So Israel will stay your ally even though they commit genocide?” asked a male activist, who entered into the frame walking briskly on the opposite side of the congressman.
“That’s your term,” Fleischmann said.
“Even when they kill 30,000 kids?” he pressed. “That is a statistic. That’s a statistic.”
“Let me tell you a statistic,” the congressman shot back. “Israel will exist, the Jewish state will exist, it will always exist, and that is for God to do and to decide. And I will always support Israel.”
“You are supporting genocide, sir,” the male activist responded.
“I will always support Israel,” Fleischmann reiterated. “And you can tell the Palestinians, I will never support them.”
“I am a Palestinian myself,” the male activist said.
“Then I will tell you, I will never support you. Then I will tell you to your face: goodbye to Palestine!” the seven-term Catholic congressman replied.
The activists, shocked by Fleischmann’s statement, continued to follow the congressman as he entered an elevator and bombarded him with questions as he pressed the button to close the door.
Fleischmann reflected on the incident in an exclusive statement shared with the Daily Caller.
“Americans nationwide are fed up with the small, vocal, antisemitic Left who are trying to undermine America and support the destruction of Israel. Radical Leftists – coddled by Biden, Pelosi, and Schumer – have incessantly attacked Israel and our traditional values, and the American People have had enough,” the congressman said.
“The United States will always stand with Israel,” Fleischmann continued. “We stand with Israel, today, tomorrow, and forever – and no amount of pushback from Marxist Leftists who hate what America and Israel stand for will ever change that.”
On Thursday, Codepink tweeted that two of its members were arrested while calling for a ceasefire outside former Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office.
Today, two of our members from San Francisco were arrested after demanding a meeting with their congresswoman @SpeakerPelosi.
They’ve been trying to meet with her for months to no avail. pic.twitter.com/d8n6XZ2YsC
— CODEPINK (@codepink) March 7, 2024