Pro-Palestine protester removed by Capitol Police from hearing for Biden’s Israel ambassador nominee Jack Lew

• A lone anti-Israel protester was booted from a Senate Foreign Relations hearing 
• He interrupted the proceedings to demand a ceasefire in Israel and Gaza
• Hearing was to confirm a new Israel Ambassador amid the Jewish state’s ongoing conflict with Hamas terrorists 

A pro-Palestine protestor interrupted the Senate Foreign Relations Committee confirmation hearing for Biden’s Israel ambassador nominee Jack Lew.

The man pleaded as U.S. Capitol Police escorted him from the room as he held up a sign reading: ‘Ceasefire now.’

The outbreak came as the panel kicked-off its expedited confirmation for Former Treasury Secretary Jack Lew, who Biden nomination for the next ambassador to Israel after the post was vacated over the summer.

It comes as Republicans threatened to block the process for Lew, who they bashed for his role in crafting the Iran nuclear deal. But Democrats say it’s essential to fill the post as the war between Israel and Hamas wages and hundreds die every day.

A lone anti-Israel protester was escorted from a Senate Foreign Relations confirmation hearing for the Israel Ambassador nominee after he interrupted the proceedings to demand a ceasefire

Republicans are threatening to slow President Joe Biden’s pick Jack Lew (pictured) to be the next Ambassador to Israel despite the Jewish nation’s conflict with Hamas terrorists

‘Now is not the time to play political games. We need to make sure the other nations and terrorist groups do not exploit –’ the committee’s Chairman Ben Cardin said before he was interrupted by the protester.

The man stood up in the audience of the confirmation hearing and repeated the senator’s sentiments: ‘Now is not the time to play political games. How many bombs need to be dropped on… how many children need to be killed?’

‘Our families are dying. Our families are dying!’ he shouted. ‘We need a ceasefire now! We need a ceasefire now! Ceasefire now, ceasefire now!’

After Capitol Police removed the lion anti-Israel protests, Cardin began his opening statement again from the beginning.

Lew faced questioning Wednesday from lawmakers on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee as Democrats look to hurry through his nomination.

But several top Republican senators on the panel say they are concerned about Lew’s involvement in the Iran nuclear deal during the Obama administration, claiming that he lied to Congress about the agreement.

Sen. Marco Rubio is the Republican ranking member of the panel and said in a Fox News interview that he has ‘real concerns’ that Lew has ‘misled and lied to Congress in the past, in terms of some of the financial arrangements that were made under the Obama Administration.’ 

Lew only needs 51 votes to be confirmed – and lucky for Democrats, they have exactly that many members in the majority, although three members are independents that caucus with Democrats.

U.S. Capitol police escorted the protester out of the room so the hearing could continue

The outbreak came during a hearing conducted in the wake of the latest strike that hit a hospital in Gaza, killing approximately 500 Palestinians. Israel claims it was not responsible for the attack, but Democrats aren’t convinced

While holding a sign reading, ‘ceasefire now,’ the protester shouted: Now is not the time to play political games. How many bombs need to be dropped on… how many children need to be killed? Our families are dying.’

But first, Lew’s nomination must be advanced by the Foreign Relations panel to the Senate floor for a vote. A single senator can at least slow down the process.

Despite Republican acknowledgement that its important to urgently confirm a new ambassador given conflict in the region, there is still resistance to Lew being placed in that post.

Senate Minority Whip John Thune told CNN on Monday that there is ‘a lot of resistance’ to Lew’s nomination.

President Joe Biden is in Israel Wednesday as he attempts to quell rising fears of international conflict after Hamas terrorists launched a multi-front attack on Israel last week.

On Saturday, October 7, the Palestinian terrorist group based in Gaza brutally murdered and kidnapped unsuspecting civilians in Israel. That first day of conflict resulted in the single largest day of Jewish slaughter since the Holocaust.

As of Monday, Israeli authorities confirmed at least 1,400 people were killed and 3,400 others injured.

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said on Tuesday that it’s now know 31 Americans died in Israel and at least 15 are missing and thought to be held hostage by Hamas terrorists. Additionally, up to 600 U.S. nationals are thought to be among the hundreds of thousands of people still trapped in Gaza.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health says 3,000 of their people have been killed and upwards of 12,500 wounded in Israeli counter strikes.

GOP members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee are concerned with Biden’s pick’s involvement in the Iran nuclear deal during the Obama administration – and allege he misled Congress on the deal

As Biden was flying to Israel, an airstrike on the Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza left at least 500 Palestinians died – led to the cancelation of the U.S. President’s meetings with other Middle Eastern leaders outside Israel

Republicans say that Iran is behind emboldening Hamas to strike, claiming that the nation directly funded the attacks – specifically from incoming $6 billion awarded for the release of five Americans that were being held in Tehran.

Sen. Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.) is on the Foreign Relations panel and said that he has ‘serious concerns’ about Lew and his involvement in the Iran nuclear deal in a sign he could oppose the nomination.

‘We have to have his hearing, but I have some very serious concerns about him and his involvement with the Iran nuclear deal, a deal that in my opinion is giving nuclear weapons to Iran, facilitating that,’ Ricketts told CNN.

Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) has attacked Lew as an ‘Iran sympathizer who has no business being our ambassador.’

He is among the lawmakers in favor of blocking the sped-up confirmation of Biden’s pick.

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s confirmation hearing comes as the White House told lawmakers, four sources told the Associated Press, that it is considering a request of between $90 billion and $100 billion for the wars in Israel and Ukraine – and for Taiwan as it faces threats from China.

The request to Congress would cover a year, another person familiar with the Biden administration’s expected request noted.

Lew, a treasury secretary under former President Barack Obama, was nominated by Biden last month after Tom Nides left his ambassadorship in July.

Democrats say Lew’s wealth of government experience makes him the right person to fill the post at an important moment in the U.S.-Israeli relationship. Lew was also chief of staff to Obama and White House budget director under both Obama and President Bill Clinton.

The Senate Foreign Relation Committee Chairman Ben Cardin (D-Md.) said Lew is ‘an outstanding, qualified person.’

He noted the urgency in getting a confirmed ambassador in spot to help Israel as it navigates the war, works to release hostages held by Hamas and deals with increasing concerns about tensions on the northern border with Hezbollah.

Cardin said it is also important to ‘to keep normalization talks alive’ that could improve diplomatic relations between Israel and Arab countries in the region.

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