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Ted Cruz Interrupted by Rabid Antisemites at Senate Judiciary Hearing on Hate Crimes

Rebecca Downs
Rebecca Downs  |  September 18, 2024 9:00 AM

On Tuesday, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing to examine "stemming the tide of hate crimes in America." While the hearing was of a generic nature, there was indeed a focus on Jews, particularly from Republican members. Especially since the October 7 attack that Hamas launched against Israel last year, there have been a shocking amount of antisemitic hate crimes perpetrated against Jews in this country and around the world. While Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) was speaking, antisemitic agitators stood up to interrupt, shouting vile comments about Jews as they were taken out.

As Cruz was calling out the lack of hearings dedicated specifically to antisemitism, at least one agitator took a moment to interrupt the senator, engaging in explicit and offensive language as he did so. 

"F**king Jews and the Israelis, talk about the 40,000," one man could be heard shouting, as he shared statistics that have been used as propaganda by Hamas. The terrorists have admitted that they inflate the figures, and reports from the Associated Press and the United Nations--neither of which are particularly friendly towards Israel--have also lowered the estimates. "Talk about all these people. Why is it about antisemitism?" The man could also be heard yelling and cursing at the police as he was being arrested and escorted out. 

"And this is the kind of anger and hate this is encouraged," Cruz pointed out as such an interruption was going on, which came after he had criticized Democrats and the Biden-Harris administration for their inaction. "You're now seeing the hate manifesting right here, interestingly enough," Cruz added, before Senate Judiciary Chairman Dick Durbin (D-IL) had to bang his gavel to call for order. 

"So we now have a demonstration of antisemitism. We have a demonstration of the hate," Cruz continued, as he questioned one of the witnesses about the Biden-Harris administration's response to campuses where antisemitism has been rampant. "Not a single university," that witness, Rabbi Mark Goldfeder responded when asked about if any had had their funding cut off. 

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As Brandon Morse at our sister site of RedState mentioned when covering the shocking moment, and as the senator himself also posted, such rabid antisemites made Cruz's point for him. 

Cruz had used his time to discuss the scourge of antisemitism and remind those present about the horrors of October 7, detailing specific examples on college campuses. Not only did he have praise for Republicans and red states, such as in Texas and Florida, where antisemitic protests threatening Jews were shut down quickly, he also called out Democrats and the Biden-Harris administration, as well as the Democratic-controlled Committee for not having hearings specifically on antisemitism. 

"Throughout all of this, the Biden-Harris administration has been utterly absent. Does anyone doubt if the Klan were on college campuses, terrorizing African-American students, threatening African-American students, that we would see the FBI there? That we would see prosecutors there? That we would see federal funding cut off to universities? Of course we would, and we should," Cruz said in the moments leading up to the interruption. 

"But when it comes to antisemitism, the Democrats have a problem. I would note this is occurring in blue states with blue governors, because the Democrat Party is terrified of the pro-Hamas wing of their party," Cruz also said, echoing a point he's made many times before. "In states like Texas and Florida, we don't allow this. At the University of Texas, when violent protesters threatened Jewish students, police officers arrived and arrested them. That's what happens when you enforced the law."

Although Durbin tried to cut him off due to time, Cruz made sure to get his final point in there, expressing hope and a promise about Republicans controlling the chamber after the November elections. 

"I can tell you this: next year, if there is a Republican majority on this Committee, you will see real leadership. And next year, if there's a Republican administration, you will see people prosecuted for this sort of violence. This is being tolerated with the looking away, the blind eye being turned from this administration and this Department of Justice. And it is utterly disgraceful. And under Title VI, any university that allows this should have their funding cut off," Cruz shared. 

Eyewitnesses at the hearing noted that the agitators' "behavior was inappropriate throughout" and that cursing "was loud and constant." Others engaged in denying the harsh reality of October 7.

Although not all of those sitting in the audience appeared to engage in interruptions, many could still be seen wearing keffiyehs, which has been criticized as a "Neo-Swastika Fashion Statement."