Independent 2024 presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was confronted by a pro-Palestine heckler calling for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas at a Wednesday evening campaign event in Portland.
This comes after two Jewish-owned businesses in Portland in recent weeks have been targeted by pro-Palestine graffiti and posters, and the leader of a rally in the city’s Monument Square held by the Maine Democratic Socialists of America called the Oct. 7 killing of over 1,400 Israelis by Hamas “morally and legally legitimate.”
After concluding his speech to the large crowd at the Ocean Gateway Terminal, RFK Jr. took several questions from the crowd, covering topics from the Lewiston mass shooting and immigration to curbing the power of the Federal Reserve.
Tonight in Portland, @RobertKennedyJr got heckled by a protestor demanding a ceasefire in Gaza.
— The Maine Wire (@TheMaineWire) November 9, 2023
Here's how he responded: pic.twitter.com/bAWy8Rx0xo
Following the question and answer portion, the presidential candidate was interrupted by the shouts of a man in the crowd who called for a ceasefire in the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.
The man referenced the deaths of thousands of Gaza civilians at the hands of Israel, saying “most of them were women and children,” and that the Israeli military’s efforts “are being financed by the United States.”
“If you’re for protecting the people of this country, you would want a ceasefire right now,” the man said. “Because I’ll tell you what, us financing Israelis genociding the Gazan people is making everybody unsafe, including Americans who are financing it, sir.”
[RELATED: Five Maine Socialists Arrested at Rep. Chellie Pingree’s Portland Office Amid Pro-Palestine Protest…]
Before RFK Jr. could respond, another member of the crowd shouted back at the man that “[Hamas] has American hostages.”
“Israel turned Gaza over to the Palestinians in 2005, it is not an occupied territory,” RFK. Jr. responded. “They removed all Israeli citizens in that time, 9,000 people, they even dug out the Jewish graves.”
“Hamas has in its charter that they want the genocide, the destruction of Israel, the genocide of every Jew — not only in Israel, but the entire world — that is their negotiating position,” he said. “And they say anybody who negotiates with Israel should be killed — that’s Gaza’s rule, that’s Hamas’ rule.”
“Hamas took over in 2006, took the Palestinian Authority that was running [Gaza], shot them all through the kneecap, took them up to the highest high-rise in Gaza, and threw them all off the roof,” he continued.
RFK Jr. said that Palestinians in Gaza “get more money from international aid than any human beings on earth.”
“Instead of using that money for economic development, to feed their population, to build homes, to help their population, Hamas uses virtually every penny to build 1,300 tunnels, 300 miles of tunnels,” he said. “They tore up the irrigation systems that were their food supply to turn the pipes into rockets.”
“You can’t name a country anywhere in the world that will put up with 30,000 rockets fired — with a nation next to them declaring war, saying they want the extermination of every one of your citizens and will be satisfied with nothing less,” he told the heckler.
After the heckler interrupted RFK Jr.’s response with continued shouts, the presidential candidate told the man “look, listen, nobody likes children dying.”
“When we went into Germany after the war, and then into Japan, a lot of civilians died, because we had to get Hitler,” he concluded, before thanking the crowd and leaving the stage.
Common sense and facts laid out perfectly by a traditional Democrat/Independent rather than ignorant talking points from the hard-Left that has taken over the Party. Still all in for Trump, however. MAGA 2024!
So, if Bobby has a solid case for his position, when is he going to sit down with Max Blumenthal on camera, like he promised Jimmy Dore? That’s all I ask. Let him answer for Deir Yassin.
Thanks to Communist DemocRat control of education & media, Bobby & his ancestors are now viewed as right-wing extremists by too many Americans.
Recently, (Rumble 11/9/23 “RFK Jr. Pushes WORLD WAR III Over OIL!” @12:40), Jimmy Dore discussed RFK’s Nov 3rd tweet thanking Jeffery Sach’s for tweeting, ‘By coming out for urgent diplomacy and peace in Israel and Ukraine, RFK, Jr will do the right thing and win the election, hands down.’ Thanks Jeff!”
Ironically, the previous day, on Nov 2nd, the “Kennedy Beacon” Substack (Pro-RFK “American Values 2024” Super PAC) censored Jeremy Sach’s call for diplomacy & peace! A few hours after his thoughtful article, “Israel’s Chance to Turn Carnage into Peace” — Friends Do Not Let Friends Commit Crimes Against Humanity, was posted onto the “Beacon” substack, it was deleted! *1
Sachs concluded by writing: “If Israel swallows Netanyahu’s poison *2 that “this is a time for war,” Israel will isolate itself from the rest of the world and pay a devastating price. … Israel’s friends, starting with the U.S., must help it choose diplomacy over war. Friends do not let friends commit crimes against humanity, much less provide them with the finances and arms to do so.”
RFK himself has long suffered from censorship on vaccine issues, etc. Considering RFK’s anti-censorship position, it’s rather ironic RFK’s Super PAC censored itself!
RFK claims he is “telling the truth to the American people” … except for Palestine? Since May, when he backtracked on his praise for Roger Walters, his stance on Israel-Palestine has lacked the nuance, truth telling, and open-mindedness RFK has displayed on other important issues. Last Summer, RFK promised Jimmy Dore he would debate/talk with Max Blumenthal. So far, RFK hasn’t (just like Dr. Peter Hotez has ducked debating RFK on vaccines).
Will RFK ever come out for “diplomacy & peace… will [he] do the right thing…?” Hopefully, … but I’ve almost lost hope for him as a “peace” & “truth teller” candidate. He’s missed so many chances.
*1: You can find the “Page Not Found” link by “Googling”: “Kennedy Beacon” “Israel’s Chance to Turn Carnage into Peace”. Sach’s article can still be found on the “Common Dreams” website.
*2: During his televised announcement of the Gaza ground invasion Prime Minister Netanyahu said, “You must remember what Amalek has done to you, says our Holy Bible”; referring to Samuel 15:3, literally “going Biblical” on Gaza: https://twitter.com/mtracey/status/1718360354764238929
Please people, do some fact checking. Hamas changed its charter and does not stand for the destruction of Israel anymore. Secondly, the people of Gaza haven’t had an election since 2006. The man is calling for a ceasefire because Israel is only in Gaza killing civilians which as he says will only lead to more hate and less safety for Americans. Third, the charter of the current government in Israel calls for the destruction of all of Palestine. So who’s right? Please Americans, you need to learn some basic facts about Israeli fascism. They are not a democracy. RFK also has said people get killed for being gay in the Arab world. That’s simply not true. Please always fact check anything an American politician says about Israel.
The only candidate with the right perspective on Palestine is Cornell West . Really sad RFK is towing the line for his Zionist donors.
It’s pretty weird how people were all about punching Nazis and claiming Donald Trump was Hitler just a few years ago, and now they’re defending (or even celebrating) massacres of Jewish civilians and talking about shadowy Zionist puppet masters. I won’t be surprised much if I start seeing people quoting The Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion or posting images of “Der Jude! Kriegsanstifter!” posters.
Rfk is a useful idiot for the israeli lobby, just as all US politicians are. Its sad and tragic that there is nobody in politics who has the strength of character to tell the truth about israel.
Thank goodness Bobby has morals and commitment to this small democracy that holds half the world’s remaining Jews. There is no diplomacy possible with Hamas. Its leaders live abroad in luxury while robbing their impoverished citizens They block them from evacuating so they can pile up bodies for propaganda.
I’m puzzled by RFK saying Israel has not occupied Gaza since 2006. Was he suggesting Gazans enjoy some sense of autonomous rule? Hasn’t there been a blockade of Gaza for the last sixteen years. Admittedly, I need to educate myself further on this issue but have many questions.
I just et the entire 1984 paperback and tryn to digest it, then I hear, the ADL condemns Jewish Voices for Peace as anti-semitic hate group.
Kennedy is correct and that idiotic article from that Isis apologist rag Common Dreams was taken down as soon as someone lucid saw it. Kennedy stands firm against Hamas/Isis propaganda. And yes gay people are executed in Gaza, it is just like Iran or Somalia. This thread is like one batshit comment away from a Uss Liberty rant. #kennedy2024
Please Educate yourself. Read these booklets which can be downloaded and viewed for free at:
Standwithus.com/booklets
Laura you are sadly so ignorant!!!Hamas and other terrorist groups want to rid the world of infidels and wipe Israel off the map. On Oct 7th, notebooks were found with Hamas’s plans for further destruction laid out. Yes, Israel has to set up blockades and check points because their loving neighbors could have a bomb in their backpack. Read the booklet Israel 101 at the above link to see how many times in the last 75 years that Israel has done diplomacy and strived for peace. Always rejected by the Palestinian Arabs. Lastly, if Israel had it in their charter to kill Palestinians, then why has the population of Gaza increased to 2.2million?
RFK Jr gave accurate facts in this video.
Also research why Jordan and Egypt won’t take Palestinian refugees anymore.. haven’t you wondered why Egypt hasn’t open their gates to welcome them ?
Also say you are running a business, would you hire someone who wants to kill you? Yet, Israelis did give work permits to the Palestinian Gazans. The Palestinians teach their children to hate and rejoice in killing.
(Iran $) and Hamas did this attack because Saudi Arabia was in the process of normalizing relationships with Israel,which they opposed. Iran and Hamas strive to keep the conflict in the region alive to keep themselves in power. Do they care about the Palestinians in Gaza? NOPE.
Bill, Israeli leader Arial Sharon was so aggravated by the stall in the peace process in 2005, that he had Israeli soldiers forcibly remove every Israeli from their home in Gaza. There were about 8000-10000 removed. Israel has not occupied it or ruled it in the last 18 years, essentially giving them the chance to self rule. They elected Hamas. Billions of dollars in aid was given to Gaza. They used for weapons and tunnels not for self improvement. The blockades are to try to keep the Palestinians from getting weapons or bringing weapons into Israel and attacking its people.
Read booklets at standwithus.com/booklets
Ex. Should we secure our Mexican border or let anybody come through? Or should we have checkpoints? Come to think of it we do have checkpoints in some places on our border.
Why is Israel held to a different standard?
It’s a shame I used to think RFK Jr. was with the oppressed. I see that he is also an Israeli mouthpiece. No morals, where is your moral compass pointing to when Palestinians are being slaughtered by Israel ? It’s obvious he has never been to Gaza. Israel is an apartheid state and Gaza is a concentration camp.
No morals, where is your moral compass pointing to when Palestinians are being slaughtered by Israel ? It’s obvious he has never been to Gaza. Israel is an apartheid state and Gaza is a concentration camp.
Really bad journalism I just stopped a quarter down the page and realized this is just propaganda. Unto real news somewhere else. I guess these guys aren’t gonna win any journalistic award in the near future.