Masked Anti-Israel Protesters Set Up Encampment outside Home of Jewish Democrat

A group of anti-Israel protesters set up tents and began demonstrating outside the home of a Jewish Democratic lawmakers on the even of the anniversary of Hamas’s mass civilian slaughter in Israel.

Representative Greg Landsman (D., Ohio), a first term House member, released a statement Monday addressing the encampment set up outside of his Cincinnati, Ohio home, which forced his family to evacuate for their own safety.

“On the eve of the one-year anniversary of the October 7^th terror attacks, when Jews were brutally murdered and kidnapped, these people came to the home of a Jewish family at night, dressed in all black and fully masked,” Landsman said. “My daughter and I will be attending a service to bear witness to the atrocious terror attacks of October 7^th. Meanwhile, these people will be outside of my house, in an attempt to intimidate my Jewish family every time we try to leave our home.”

Anti-Israel protesters have been harassing Landsman and his staff for the past year and now they are extending the treatment to his neighbors and family members. When reached for comment, Landsman’s office referred NR to his public statement.

The protesters are affiliated with a left-wing activist group, Midwest Direct Action 4 Pali!, and covered their faces with masks.

“On the eve of the one year mark since the beginning of the genocide in Palestine, local activists in Cincinnati have gathered outside Congressman Greg Landsman’s house to denounce his votes to conceal the death toll and continue funding mass murder in Gaza,” the group said on Instagram.

The protesters seem to be referring to Landsman’s votes to support U.S. aid to Israel and prevent the State Department from citing the Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health’s death-toll statistics. The Hamas statistics do not distinguish between Gazan civilians and Hamas fighters and operatives, and they appear to be significantly exaggerated.

A spokesman for the protesters outside Landsman’s home told the Associated Press that they are protesting against the violence in Gaza and are not targeting Landsman because of his Jewish faith. The activists have no intention of stopping their demonstration anytime soon.

Landsman represents a competitive Ohio House district and flipped a longtime Republican seat in the 2022 midterms.

In a similar fashion, antisemitic protesters have harassed Biden administration officials such as Secretary of State Antony Blinken and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan outside of their homes.

On October 7, 2023, Hamas fighters slaughtered over 1,200 innocent Israeli civilians and captured hundreds of living hostages. Hamas’s terrorist rampage sparked the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, and prompted the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, another Iranian-backed terrorist organization. Hamas has murdered some of the hostages while continuing to hold others in captivity. Some of the hostages have been freed due to diplomatic breakthroughs and Israeli rescue operations. American citizens were among those killed on October 7 and taken hostage during the massacre.

Progressive activists and lawmakers have strongly opposed American support for Israel’s self-defense and military capabilities after Hamas’s massacre. Over the summer, Anti-Israel campus activists and outside agitators set up anti-Israel tent encampments and pressured their universities into cutting ties with companies that do business in Israel. Columbia University’s tent encampment received national attention last summer and inspired a wave of anti-Israel encampments nationwide.

Campus demonstrations often featured slogans calling for the eradication of Israel and antisemitic activities. Anti-Israel activists have also protested across American cities, with some participants explicitly supporting Hamas and other terrorist organizations. The rabble-rousers have used similar tactics inside the halls of congress and at political rallies to try bringing attention to their cause.