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Kamala Harris Condemns ‘Abhorrent’ Pro-Hamas Protests in DC
US Vice President Kamala Harris speaks during an event with leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as part of the US-ASEAN Special Summit, in Washington, DC, May 13, 2022. Photo: REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz
US Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday rebuked the rampant anti-Israel protests that have erupted across Washington, DC in response to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to the US capital city and speech to a joint session of Congress, calling the demonstrations “abhorrent.”
Outside of Union Station, rioters vandalized numerous statues and landmarks, and the phrase “Hamas is coming,” written in all capital letters, was spray-painted on a monument, along with an upside-down red triangle, a symbol used by the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas when attacking Israeli targets.
“F—k Israel” was also spray-painted at various spots in Washington, DC.
Meanwhile, video emerged on social media showing rioters attacking police officers and burning American flags. They also tore down the American flag in front of Union Station and replaced it with a Palestinian flag. They subsequently set the American flag on fire.
Harris, the presumptive 2024 Democratic presidential nominee, released a statement condemning the “despicable acts by unpatriotic protesters,” specifically referencing the demonstrations at Union Station.
“I condemn any individuals associating with the brutal terrorist organization Hamas, which has vowed to annihilate the State of Israel and kill Jews. Pro-Hamas graffiti and rhetoric is abhorrent and we must not tolerate it in our nation,” Harris said. “I condemn the burning of the American flag. That flag is a symbol of our highest ideals as a nation and represents the promise of America. It should never be desecrated in that way.”
Harris concluded, “I support the right to peacefully protest, but let’s be clear: Antisemitism, hate, and violence of any kind have no place in our nation.”
The statement came after Harris received criticism for not attend Netanyahu’s speech on Wednesday. Instead, the vice president agreed to deliver the keynote address for the national conference of a historically black sorority.
Earlier this month, Harris expressed sympathy for anti-Israel protesters on US university campuses. In an interview, Harris said that college students protesting Israel’s defensive military efforts against Hamas are “showing exactly what the human emotion should be.”
“There are things some of the protesters are saying that I absolutely reject, so I don’t mean to wholesale endorse their points,” she added. “But we have to navigate it. I understand the emotion behind it.”
Harris has previously criticized Israel’s ongoing military campaign against Hamas in Gaza. The vice president, for example, emphatically condemned Israel’s operations in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, insisting that she “studied the maps, there’s nowhere for [Palestinians] to go.” White House aides also reportedly forced Harris to tone down a speech that was highly critical of Israel earlier this year.
Beyond Harris, White House spokesperson Andrew Bates this week also lambasted the “disgraceful” anti-Israel demonstrators for openly endorsing terrorism and extremism. Bates rebuked the protests for their “antisemitism and violence.”
“Identifying with evil terrorist organizations like Hamas, burning the American flag, or forcibly removing the American flag and replacing it with another, is disgraceful,” he said in a statement. “Antisemitism and violence are never acceptable. Period. Every American has the right to peaceful protest. But shamefully, not everyone demonstrated peacefulness today.”
Anti-Israel protests have rocked the US in the months following Hamas’ massacre of over 1200 people in southern Israel on Oct. 7. Demonstrators have rallied across college campuses and rallied at synagogues and Jewish cultural spaces to express their disapproval of Israel. Many agitators at these protests have openly endorsed the Hamas, the terrorist group that runs Gaza, and have called for the complete destruction of Israel.
In response, Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AK) on Wednesday unveiled new legislation to sanction non-citizens who participate in violent protests. The proposed “No Visas for Violent Criminals Act” would void visas for foreign nationals convicted for their conduct in protests and require their deportation within 60 days. Specifically, the legislation targets non-citizens arrested for obstructing traffic, defacing federal property, and participating in disruptive college campus demonstrations.
Many of the most vocal anti-Israel agitators on college campuses, in particular, have been foreign students.
“The Biden administration’s inaction against pro-Hamas mobs has only emboldened these extremists. Our legislation makes clear that a green card does not give individuals the right to break our laws in support of antisemitic views,” Cotton wrote in a statement.
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Iran Unveils ‘Gaza’ Drone With 1,000-km Range
The Gaza drone is seen in flight, armed with eight precision-guided Sadid-345 glide bombs. Photo: Screenshot
The Aerospace Force of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) on Sunday unveiled its new heavy-duty drone, named Gaza, during a “hybrid operation” on the sidelines of a massive military exercise in southern Iran, according to semi-official Iranian media.
With a range of 1,000 kilometers and a payload capacity of at least 500 kilograms, this unmanned aircraft can carry up to 13 missiles in a single flight.
The Gaza drone features a wingspan of 22 meters, a takeoff weight of 3,100 kilograms, and a flight endurance of 35 hours, enabling it to perform extended missions.
Watch the video of Iran’s largest drone, unveiled today!
Named the Gaza Drone, this advanced aircraft successfully destroyed 8 targets with precision during its first demonstration. It will also play a key role in monitoring the nation’s borders.#Iran #Gazadrone #Gaza pic.twitter.com/cmyMNRcOW1
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|| Alexander (@Sarbazrehbar) January 27, 2025
It also achieves a cruising speed of 350 kilometers per hour and has an operational radius of approximately 4,000 kilometers.
According to a press release from the IRGC, an Iranian military force and internationally designated terrorist organization, the Gaza drone successfully destroyed eight targets for the first time on Sunday, launching missiles equipped with artificial intelligence capabilities during the Great Prophet Authority military exercise in the Persian Gulf.
The announcement came days after Israel and Hamas reached a ceasefire deal earlier this month to end the 15-month war in Gaza.
The initial six-week first phase of the ceasefire includes a partial and gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip and the release of hostages taken by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
Iran is the chief international sponsor of Hamas, providing the Palestinian terrorist group in Gaza with weapons, funding, and training.
As part of the first phase of the ceasefire, 26 additional hostages are expected to be released over the next month, along with hundreds more Palestinian prisoners who were largely detained by Israel for involvement in terrorist activities.
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Israel, NASA Reach Agreement to Send First Israeli Female Astronaut to Space
Axiom’s four-man team lifts off, riding atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in the first private astronaut mission to the International Space Station, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, US, April 8, 2022. Photo: REUTERS/Steve Nesius
Israel has reached an agreement with the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to send the first Israeli woman astronaut to space, Israel’s Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology Gila Gamliel announced on Monday at the Israel Space Agency’s 20th Ilan Ramon International Space Conference.
“We received approval from NASA to send the first Israeli female astronaut into space,” Gamliel said at the conference in Tel Aviv. “We in Israel have now begun the process of searching for our candidate among our brave women.”
Gamliel, who visited NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston in September, did not elaborate on when or in what capacity the Israeli female astronaut will join NASA as part of a mission into space.
“This milestone will serve as an inspiration for future generations and emphasize the importance of gender equality in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics,” she added.
Israel’s President Isaac Herzog, who is in New York to speak at the United Nations as part of an event honoring the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp, sent a pre-recorded message that was played at the Ramon Conference.
“We are living in an incredibly exciting times for space exploration,” Herzog said. “Humanity is discovering new ways to use space technologies not only to explore the stars, but to advance global health, stability, and prosperity on our own planet. Space exploration is the next frontier for humanity, and I am convinced that it will play an increasingly bigger role in science and that humanity will ultimately settle in space as well.”
“Israel, despite its small size, is a global trailblazer in the field of space,” he added. “Already now, we partner with the leading space programs in the world, including with some of our Abraham Accords partners. I am hopeful that we will see many exciting new collaborations ahead. This leadership at the forefront of new space is absolutely critical for Israel’s future security, prosperity, and scientific leadership in the world, and we must make it a top priority.”
The Ilan Ramon International Space Conference is named after the first Israeli astronaut, who was killed along with his six crewmates in February 2003 when NASA’s space shuttle Columbia broke apart as it returned to Earth’s atmosphere. Ramon was 48 years old.
“NASA and Israel have a long-standing relationship, and this is an exciting time in space for both of our nations,” said NASA Associate Administrator Jim Free in a recorded message shared at the conference on Monday. He noted Ramon’s legacy as the first Israeli astronaut and also mentioned Israeli citizen Eitan Stiva and his historic first private astronaut mission to the International Space Station. He additionally mentioned that NASA and Israel have extended their partnership regarding moon exploration.
The Israeli company Stream Red developed a radiation belt that was sent to the space station and on the Artemis 1 experimental mission, and has helped improve the understanding of radiation exposure on Earth. In 2022, Israel signed the Artemis Accords to show its commitment to scientific cooperation and space exploration.
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The Three-Finger Symbol: A Narrative of Death vs. A Narrative of Life
Former hostage Emily Damari is reunited with her mother, on Jan. 19, 2025. Credit: Israel Defense Forces Spokesperson’s Unit.
We all felt deeply moved watching Liri Albag, Naama Levy, Karina Ariev, and Daniela Gilboa return to Israel’s borders and into the embrace of their families, joining Romi Gonen, Emily Damari, and Doron Steinbrecher, who were released last week.
Despite Hamas’ attempts to stage their release as a propaganda spectacle — and the Palestinian celebrations about the release of heinous murderers from Israeli prisons — Emily Damari’s brave gestures remind us of the profound differences between the narratives embraced by each side.
In 2014, following the kidnapping and murder of Israeli soldiers Gil-Ad Michael Shaer, Eyal Yifrach, and Naftali Fraenkel, a new visual symbol emerged in the Palestinian street: three raised fingers.
This gesture, initially a reaction to the kidnapping, quickly evolved into a powerful propaganda emblem, gaining significant traction on social media. A Facebook page titled “3 شلاليط ثم اقتحامات ثم انتفاضة ثالثة” (“Three ‘Shalits,’ then an invasion, then a third Intifada”) framed the kidnapping as part of a broader historical narrative of resistance. Drawing parallels to the abduction of Gilad Shalit, the gesture aimed to amplify a sense of Palestinian “victory.”
However, like many narratives in the digital age, this one had a short lifespan. The Facebook page ceased activity after a few months, and the symbol faded from public discourse. The dynamic nature of social media reduced this emblem to a fleeting memory — momentary propaganda rooted in violence and death.
Reclaiming the Symbol: The Israeli Side
A decade later, the world has changed. During the events of October 7, 2023, and the “Iron Swords” war, Palestinian narratives resurfaced rapidly across social media. Yet, alongside them, a completely new narrative emerged from the Israeli side.
The abduction of Emily Damari, a young woman taken from her home in Kfar Aza by Hamas terrorists, became an extraordinary symbol. During her abduction, Emily suffered injuries to her hand, leading to the amputation of two of her fingers. Yet her resilience and courage never wavered. Upon her release, Emily prominently displayed her hand, missing two fingers, as a symbol of the indomitable Israeli spirit.
Her bravery was also evident in her request to the terrorists to release 65-year-old Keith Sigal before her — an extraordinary act of humanity in the face of captivity’s horrors.
A stark contrast emerges between the Palestinian use of three fingers and the Israeli use of the same symbol.
While the Palestinian gesture celebrated violent “victory” through kidnapping and murder, the Israeli narrative draws strength from the pursuit of life, survival, and hope. Emily Damari’s hand has become a gesture of life triumphing over death, courage overcoming violence, and hope transcending despair. In many ways, it embodies the entire story of Zionism.
This powerful gesture serves as a reminder of the fundamental difference between us and our enemies. We celebrate life and courage, while they revel in death and hatred. Even in these challenging days, we continue to choose hope and life. This choice is the source of our strength and our enduring resolve.
“There is hope for your future, declares the Lord, and your children will return to their own land” (Jeremiah 31:17).
Itamar Tzur is an Israeli scholar and Middle East expert who holds a Bachelor’s degree with honors in Jewish History and a Master’s degree with honors in Middle Eastern Studies. As a senior member of the “Forum Kedem for Middle Eastern Studies and Public Diplomacy”. Tzur leverages his academic expertise to enhance understanding of regional dynamics and historical contexts within the Middle East.
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