Dozens of congressional staffers walk out ahead of Netanyahu address

Dozens of congressional staffers walked out of their offices Tuesday afternoon in protest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s joint address to Congress.

The informal group, part of Congressional Staff for Ceasefire, calling for an end to the war in Gaza, said the Israeli leader’s presence in the Capitol “disgraces the U.S. Capitol and dishonors the American values Congress has sworn to uphold.”

“For months, people in districts across the country have been demanding that their representatives work to bring this war to an end,” the group said in a statement. 

“Their demands are our demands: Stop funding this war against civilians. Send meals, not missiles. Secure the release of Israeli hostages and arbitrarily detained Palestinians. And use the leverage the American people have paid for to establish a lasting ceasefire that will bring an end to this brutal war.”

The staffers, who held red carnations to represent the civilian lives lost over the course of the war, left their offices at 1:25 pm to convene in front of the National Museum of the American Indian. 

“This War on Gaza is not a case of self defense, but a criminal campaign of vengeance against women and children he has forced from their homes and driven to starvation,”  spokesperson for the group told The Hill.

Various groups of staffers from the House and Senate met for speeches on the National Mall, facing the south of the Capitol building. Some carried a banner that read, “Staff say kick the war criminal out of our Capitol.” 

Approximately 230 staff signed a letter last week condemning the Israeli Prime Minister’s visit, saying it was an “issue of mortality,” not politics.

Organizers noted difficulties in turning out more staffers to join the walk out, citing concerns from their ranks over retribution from their offices. Those who were able to make the walk out said that participating in the boycott was an extension of their civil service duties.

“Congressional staffers are the very people most in-touch with the communities our bosses claim to represent. As such, we have a responsibility to make ourselves heard when the words of their constituents are being ignored or derided both openly and behind closed doors,” the Congressional Staff for Ceasefire spokesperson added. 

The coalition, which is made up of primarily Democratic staffers, joined dozens of their members in boycotting Netanyahu. 

The staff will be continuing their march to join the larger group of protesters on Pennsylvania Ave.