The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today condemned a threat by House Speaker Mike Johnson to arrest lawmakers who protest far-right Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to Congress next week and urged the Congressional Sergeant at Arms to refuse to carry out the order.
Johnson said: “There are a number of Democrats in the House who have said they’re going to boycott that event. Some others may protest…We’re going to have extra sergeants at arms on the floor. If anybody gets out of hand…We’re going to arrest people if we have to do it.”
VIDEO: House Speaker Mike Johnson Threatens to Arrest Lawmakers Who Protest Netanyahu’s Address to Congress
In a statement, CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell said:
“It is utterly hypocritical for Speaker Johnson to threaten duly-elected members of Congress with arrest if they dare to protest a corrupt, racist, genocidal foreign leader, especially given that lawmakers like Marjorie Taylor Greene were free to interrupt and harass President Biden during his State of the Union address.
“We call on the Sergeant at Arms to reject any calls by Speaker Johnson to violate the First Amendment by arresting lawmakers who dare to speak out against Benjamin Netanyahu. Netanyahu belongs in The Hague, not the U.S. capitol, and lawmakers should either boycott or vocally protest his presence.”
He added that CAIR issued and action alert for Americans to call on members of Congress to boycott or protest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech to a joint session of Congress on July 24th due to his openly racist views, genocidal war crimes, disrespect for the United States, and opposition to a Palestinian state.
Mitchell noted that earlier today, CAIR welcomed a ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ), or World Court, that Israel’s settlement policies and exploitation of natural resources in the occupied Palestinian territories is unlawful and must end.
He noted that the International Criminal Court (ICC) is expected to issue arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defense Minister Gallant within the next two weeks.
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CONTACT: CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com