Writers Against the War on Gaza (WAWOG) — a group of authors, novelists, journalists, and essayists opposed to Israel’s defensive military operations against the Hamas terrorist group in Gaza — celebrated Hezbollah drone and rocket launches against the Jewish state this week.

On Thursday, the group shared a news article from Al Jazeera discussing the Iran-backed terrorist group Hezbollah’s launch of more than 200 missiles and drones into Israeli airspace from Lebanon. Beside the article, WAWOG posted a photo of the Hezbollah projectiles as they appeared to be intercepted by Israel’s Iron Dome air defense system. 

“Happy 4th of July,” the group wrote on X/Twitter, seemingly celebrating the assault on Israel. 

Happy 4th of July. https://t.co/jPwvTTIqsi pic.twitter.com/qOqw9RsXvM

— Writers Against the War on Gaza (@wawog_now) July 4, 2024

WAWOG formed in October, weeks after Hamas, the Palestinian terrorist group that runs Gaza, launched the ongoing war against Israel by slaughtering over 1,200 people across the southern portion of the Jewish state. On Oct. 26, the organization issued a statement condemning Israel of attempting to “commit genocide” in Gaza and erecting an “apartheid state” in the West Bank. The letter rejected the notion that Hamas’ indiscriminate massacre of Israelis was “unprovoked,” arguing that it was a necessary act of self-defense on behalf of Palestinians. The fiery missive also dismissed the suggestion that Israel’s critics are motivated by antisemitism as “specious” at best. 

“We stand with [Hamas’] anticolonial struggle for freedom and for self-determination, and with their right to resist occupation,” the letter read.

On its official website, the coalition of writers expresses support for Palestinian “right to armed resistance,” a slogan often parroted by defenders of Hamas’ terrorism against Israeli civilians. The organization claims to draw inspiration from so-called “heroes of the resistance” such as Souha Bechara, Basil al-Araj, and Georges Abdallah — internationally recognized terrorists with charges ranging from murder to armed attacks against the Jewish state. The organization also asserts that justice for Palestinians can only be achieved through the “complete dismantling of ‘Israel,’” an explicit call to eradicate the only Jewish state in the world and commence genocide against Jews. 

WAWOG boasts an impressive roster of influential writers and artists including Roxanne Gay, George R.R. Martin, Ocean Vuong, and Susan Surandon. 

In recent months, WAWOG has tried to rally the entire literary community against Israel, demanding writers declare allegiance to “Palestine” and vilifying authors who support Zionism. The organization recently spearheaded a protest against the PEN America World Voices Festival, citing its leaders’ unwillingness to condemn Israel for “genocide” and “apartheid.” After leftist activists, including WAWOG, successfully pressured many high-profile writers to drop out of the conference, the PEN America canceled its annual event. 

PEN America CEO Suzanne Nossel penned a letter lamenting the unwillingness of left-wing writers to tolerate nuanced or dissenting viewpoints on contentious topics such as the Israel-Hamas war. 

“We share the anguish over the loss of life and devastation of the war.  We are listening to our critics,” she wrote. “We now face a campaign that casts our struggle to reflect complexity, uphold our identity as a big tent organization, and show fealty to our principles as a moral abdication. The perspective that engaging with those who hold a different point of view constitutes an impermissible act of legitimization negates the very possibility of dialogue.”

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US Rep. Brad Schneider’s (D-IL) office was vandalized on Thursday when unknown perpetrators ripped down flyers of the hostages kidnapped by Hamas terrorists during their Oct. 7 onslaught across southern Israel, according to a social media post by the congressman.

Schneider said his office on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC was targeted over US Independence Day in what he called “a vile act of hate” in a thread on X/Twitter.

“My Capitol office was vandalized yesterday in a vile act of hate in which the posters of the more than 100 people still held hostage in Gaza (including 8 Americans) were ripped from the wall, shredded, and tossed across the hallway,” he wrote, along with a picture of the torn down posters.

My Capitol office was vandalized yesterday in a vile act of hate in which the posters of the more than 100 people still held hostage in Gaza (including 8 Americans) were ripped from the wall, shredded and tossed across the hallway. pic.twitter.com/zSh86mdvIX

— Rep. Brad Schneider (@RepSchneider) July 5, 2024

After Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel, in which the Palestinian terrorist group killed 1,200 people and took about 250 hostages into Gaza, many activists, organizations, and elected officials put up photos of those taken captive as a way of spreading awareness. 

In the days following the Oct. 7 atrocities, however, many videos surfaced of anti-Israel protesters and individuals tearing down the posters in cities and on college campuses across the country.

“This was a shameful act on any day, but especially on July 4, our country’s Independence Day. Sadly, it was but one of many hateful, un-American actions that took place across the country on the day we celebrate freedom and democracy,” Schneider wrote.

“I’ve been disgusted by the videos and reports of individuals calling July 4th a ‘terrorist holiday’ and burning American flags,” he added, referring to fiery and raucous demonstrations organized by anti-Israel groups to disrupt Fourth of July celebrations in US cities.

Some videos from the protests circulated on social media showed people yelling “death to America” and trying to steal and burn American flags.

This is not the first time Schneider has been targeted by anti-Israel agitators in recent days.

“More than 700 miles from the Capitol,” Schneider wrote, “my home was targeted last weekend at 2:30 am by approximately 50 masked demonstrators banging drums, blowing horns, and screaming antisemitic chants.”

The protesters roamed the streets of the greater Chicago area this past weekend, harassing Jewish residents and fostering unrest in their campaign to pressure elected officials into boycotting and divesting from Israel. Marching through the heavily Jewish suburb of Highland Park early in the morning, a mob consisting of dozens of demonstrators — who concealed their faces with masks and keffiyehs — amassed outside the home of Schneider, who is Jewish, reportedly dousing “red liquid” on the sidewalk.

Schneider noted that the same group that protested outside of his house also protested against the United States on Thursday. 

“These actions don’t advance peace,” he pointed out. “Instead, they play directly into the hands of Hamas terrorists enabling them to continue to hold hostage not only those they kidnapped from Israel, but all civilians in Gaza as well.”

About 120 hostages currently remain in Gaza, after many were released as part of a temporary ceasefire deal in November and others were rescued by Israeli soldiers conducting special operations. It’s unclear how many of the remaining hostages are still alive.

The post ‘A Vile Act of Hate’: Israeli Hostage Posters Torn Down Outside US Lawmaker’s Capitol Hill Office first appeared on Algemeiner.com.

Anti-Israel groups organized fiery and raucous demonstrations in both New York and Philadelphia to disrupt Fourth of July celebrations marking US Independence Day on Thursday, drawing attention to the ongoing war in Gaza while showing their antipathy toward the United States.

Organizations including the Philly Palestine Coalition, Coalition for Justice in Palestine, and Within Our Lifetime called on their supporters to reject America’s annual celebration of national independence and patriotism in favor of showing support for Hamas, the Palestinian terrorist group that slaughtered over 1,200 people throughout southern Israel on Oct. 7.

Protesters responded by flooding streets and parks in Philadelphia and New York City, waving Palestinian flags and carrying signs denigrating both Israel and the United States.

In Philadelphia, roughly 400 protesters marched into Rittenhouse Square, bellowing chants such as “long live the intifada!” and “empire will fall!” The demonstrators proudly waved flags representing the Palestinians, Hamas, and the Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah while tossing American flags on the ground and lighting them on fire. 

“This July 4th, join us as we stand with the resistance and support Palestine, not AmeriKKKA! We don’t celebrate the legacy of genocide, colonialism, and slavery that July 4th symbolizes, but struggle for true LIBERATION for all ” the Philly Palestine Coalition wrote on Instagram earlier this week.

In New York, hundreds of pro-Hamas agitators gathered in Washington Square Park on Independence Day to participate in the “Flood Manhattan for July 4th” demonstration, chanting slogans such as “there is only one solution, intifada revolution!” and “US imperialists, number one terrorists!” The activists then marched through the park, screaming chants and carrying banners that read “resistance until return” and “globalize the intifada” each of which represent calls to enact violence against Jews. In one video circulated on social media, radicals placed the American flag on the ground and incinerated it. 

“This country emphasizes freedom and independence, but the truth is it’s only independence for whites,” Besan Ahmad, a Philadelphia-based organizer, told WHYY News. “And the independence of those whites came from black, brown, and indigenous people.”

The July 4 protests represented a broader pattern of leftist agitators disrupting traditions and celebrations to draw attention to the anti-Israel cause. Last month, pro-Palestinian activists obstructed and hijacked Pride Month parades in major cities across the United States. Activists have also disrupted concerts, festivals, and parties to show their solidarity with the Hamas terrorist group. 

Beyond Israel, the demonstrations also revealed a shared animus toward the US. Protesters have repeatedly chanted “death to America” and unfavorably compared US police and the Israel Defense Forces to the Ku Klux Klan. The activists, who typically brand themselves as “anti-colonial” or “anti-imperialist,” have often praised countries such as Russia or Iran, the latter of which backs Hamas and Hezbollah and has routinely called for the destruction of both Israel and the United States.

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