Journalist calls Blinken a ‘criminal’ over US support for Israel during briefing

Jan 16

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Karah Rucker Anchor

By Karah Rucker (Anchor), Evan Hummel (Producer), Jack Henry (Video Editor)

Several journalists who are not members of the regular State Department press corps and reportedly outspoken critics against U.S. support for Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza repeatedly interrupted U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday, Jan. 16, during his final press conference. Blinken was interrupted by several journalists, but the situation quickly escalated after one reporter had to be removed by security.

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The scene unfolded in the State Department briefing room. Independent journalist Sam Husseini, a long-time critic of U.S. foreign policy, yelled at Blinken over U.S. support for Israel.

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Hussein reportedly called Blinken a “criminal” and said he belonged in The Hague, which is the capital city of South Holland, where the International Court of Justice (ICJ) is located.

The interruption ended once security picked Husseini up and forcefully carried him out of the room, as he continued to yell at Blinken and accused Israel of war crimes.

Blinken, who leaves office on Monday, Jan. 20, when President-elect Donald Trump is inaugurated, later took questions from reporters. Blinken has been heckled during appearances in Washington, D.C., since the war in Gaza began more than a year ago.

Pro-Palestinian activists have also reportedly camped outside Blinken’s home in Virginia and repeatedly threw red paint to symbolize blood on a car carrying the secretary of state and his family.

Blinken has been targeted by pro-Palestinian protesters because of the U.S. supplying weapons to Israel, and diplomatic support of the country.

Israel’s war against Hamas started after the terror group’s attack on Oct. 7, 2023, left 1,200 people dead and 250 more kidnapped. More than 46,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war began, according to the Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry.

While Israel has been accused of war crimes, the Biden administration said it cannot determine if Israel violated international law, because Hamas hides within the Palestinian civilian population.

Tags: Antony Blinken, Benjamin Netanyahu, Donald Trump, Foreign aid, Gaza, Hamas, Israel, Israel Defense Forces, Joe Biden, Middle East, Middle East Crisis, Military Aid, Military Defense, Military Drills, Nuclear weapons, Palestine, Protests, State Department, tactical nuclear weapons, Tel Aviv, U.S. military, War, Weapons, White House

[KARAH RUCKER]

INDEPENDENT JOURNALISTS WHO ARE OUTSPOKEN CRITICS AGAINST U-S SUPPORT FOR ISRAEL’S WAR AGAINST HAMAS IN GAZA REPEATEDLY INTERRUPTED SECRETARY OF STATE ANTONY BLINKEN THURSDAY DURING HIS FINAL PRESS CONFERENCE.

TAKE A LISTEN.

[ANTONY BLINKEN AND JOURNALISTS]

AGAIN… I’M HAPPY TO ADDRESS QUESTIONS IN JUST A FEW MORE MINUTES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

THE SITUATION ONLY GREW MORE TENSE FROM THERE.

[ANTONY BLINKEN AND SAM HUSSEINI]

FINALLY, THIS MORNING… GET YOUR HANDS OFF ME. GET YOUR HANDS OFF ME. GET YOUR HANDS OFF ME. ANSWER A DAMN QUESTION. [INAUDIBLE] ISRAEL’S NUCLEAR WEAPONS… EVERYONE FROM THE I-C-J… I WAS SITTING HERE QUIETLY AND NOW I’M BEING MANHANDLED BY TWO OR THREE PEOPLE.

[KARAH RUCKER]

THE CHAOTIC SCENE IN THE STATE DEPARTMENT BRIEFING ROOM ONLY ENDED AFTER SECURITY FORCEFULLY REMOVED THE MAN IDENTIFIED AS INDEPENDENT JOURNALIST SAM HUSSEINI, A LONG-TIME CRITIC OF U-S FOREIGN POLICY, FROM THE ROOM AS HE CONTINUED TO YELL AT BLINKEN.

[SAM HUSSEINI]

PLEASE SIR, RESPECT THE PROCESS. THANK YOU. RESPECT THE PROCESS? RESPECT THE PROCESS WHILE EVERYONE FROM AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL SAYS WHAT ISRAEL IS DOING IS GENOCIDE AND EXTERMINATION, AND YOU TELL ME TO RESPECT THE PROCESS. CRIMINAL! WHY AREN’T YOU IN THE HAGUE? WHY AREN’T YOU IN THE HAGUE? WHY AREN’T YOU IN THE HAGUE?

[KARAH RUCKER]

BLINKEN, WHO LEAVES OFFICE MONDAY WHEN PRESIDENT-ELECT DONALD TRUMP IS INAUGURATED, LATER TOOK QUESTIONS FROM REPORTERS.

BLINKEN’S BEEN HECKLED AT APPEARANCES IN D-C SINCE THE WAR IN GAZA BEGAN.

PRO-PALESTINIAN ACTIVISTS HAVE ALSO CAMPED OUTSIDE HIS HOME IN VIRGINIA AND THREW RED PAINT ON CARS CARRYING BLINKEN AND HIS FAMILY.

THE SECRETARY OF STATE HAS BEEN TARGETED BY PRO-PALESTINIAN PROTESTERS FOR THE U-S SUPPLYING WEAPONS TO ISRAEL AND DIPLOMATIC SUPPORT.

ISRAEL’S WAR AGAINST HAMAS AFTER THE TERROR GROUP’S OCTOBER 7TH ATTACK THAT LEFT 12-HUNDRED DEAD AND SAW SOME 250 ISRAELIS KIDNAPPED HAS KILLED MORE THAN 46-THOUSAND PALESTINIANS, ACCORDING TO THE HAMAS-CONTROLLED GAZA HEALTH MINISTRY.

WHILE ISRAEL HAS BEEN ACCUSED OF WAR CRIMES, THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION SAID IT CANNOT DETERMINE IF IT VIOLATED INTERNATIONAL LAW BECAUSE HAMAS HIDES WITHIN THE PALESTINIAN CIVILIAN POPULATION.

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FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS– I’M KARAH RUCKER.