Senator Lindsey Graham, while addressing the pro-Palestinian demonstrations that took place on America’s Independence Day, claimed on X, formerly Twitter, that Palestinians born in Gaza are “the most radicalized population on the planet.”
Graham added that in addition to being the “most radicalized,” Gazans are “taught to hate Jews from birth,” and this “will take years to fix.”
Graham further noted that he saw widespread antisemitism in the pro-Palestinian movement, comparing the popular protest chant “from the river to the sea” to the Nazis’ final solution – which planned to see the complete extermination of the Jewish people.
While I respect the right to peacefully protest, I apologize to my neighbors and their families for the disruption on the Fourth of July caused by this pro-Palestinian group. I want to make it crystal clear: I am with Israel wholly and completely. As I have consistently said,… pic.twitter.com/d9gElmgwBq
“From the river to the sea” is in reference to the land between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea, an area that encompasses the entire state of Israel.
Many critique this chant as advocating for the creation of a Palestinian state at the expense of Israel’s existence.
Hamas Al-Qassam Brigades Flag at a June 28 NYC protest. (credit: Screenshot/ Within Our Lifetime video/ X)
“The Hamas terrorists are the SS on steroids,” Graham said, while asserting, “I will always support giving Israel the weapons and the space they need to destroy Hamas so there is never another October 7. “
On pro-Palestinian protests, Graham wrote that he supported the right to “peacefully protest” but expressed his apologies to nearby households disrupted from their celebrations by the demonstrations.
The protesters were recorded shouting “Lindsey Graham we’re not done, intifada has just begun.” The chants were met with accompanying drum beats.
“Intifada” is an Arabic word for “uprising” and references the waves of terrorism that targeted Israeli civilians and soldiers from 1987-1993 in the first intifada and in 2000 in the second intifada.
Over 1000 Israelis were killed in the second intifada, and thousands more were wounded, according to Israel’s foreign ministry. Thousands of Palestinians were also killed during the intifadas.
Lindsey Graham’s vocal support for Israel
In June, Graham told the Jerusalem Post’s Tovah Lazaroff that Iran must be held accountable for major Hezbollah attacks against Israel, adding that failing to do so would have a costly impact on the United States.
Graham explained that if the US failed to take a strong stance with Israel against Hezbollah, then “Iran will see this as yet another example of weakness and timidity, and they [it] will break out to a nuclear weapon.”
Only one day after Hamas’s October 7 attacks on southern Israel, Graham posted on X that Iran must be held responsible for the terror inflicted.
“It is long past time for the Iranian terrorist state to pay a price for all the upheaval and destruction being sown throughout the region and world,” the senator wrote.
At the end of October, Graham repeated that he would see to it that the US would hold Iran accountable for Hamas’s murdering of captives.
“We are here today to tell Iran that we are watching you,” he told reporters. “If this war grows, it’s coming to your backyard.”
