Walking past Union Station in the nation’s capital, I recently was met with a heartbreaking sight. Vandals had defaced the Columbus Memorial Fountain with spray paint, writing the words “Hamas is coming” in big red letters.  Trash and signs discarded by anti-Israel protesters littered the ground. A burnt shopping cart stood off to one side with piles of ash beneath it.    Most depressing, however, were the three bare flag poles that had been robbed of their American flags. Protesters had burned the flags, the only remnant a charred piece of fabric atop another pile of ash.  This was the aftermath of the July 24 “pro-Palestinian” protests in Washington, D.C., organized in response to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address that day to a joint meeting of Congress.  As an American of Palestinian heritage, some expect me to cheer on these people. They expect me to condemn the U.S., hate Israel, and support Hamas, a terrorist organization dedicated to wiping out the Jewish state.   But these expectations don’t represent me, nor my family.  I inherit my Palestinian background from my mother’s side of the family; her parents emigrated to America from the Middle East. My grandma was born in Israel and later moved to Ramallah in the West Bank and eventually to Jordan.  After arriving in America in her 20s, my grandma worked hard to become a U.S. citizen.  She learned the English language while raising my mother and uncle.  She opened a restaurant with my grandpa, lovingly named the Chicken Pantry, in Hamtramck, Michigan.  When that business closed, my grandma worked as a real estate agent before eventually retiring in the land of prosperity.  America brought my family prosperity. My grandparents taught my mother to “kiss the ground you walk on” because they knew what a blessing America is.   They passed this lesson on to me.  Although many seem to think that my Palestinian heritage should cause me to align with protests that supposedly are “pro-Palestinian,” it’s precisely because of my heritage that I cannot do that.   Israel went to war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip only after Hamas terrorists slaughtered 1,200 and kidnapped about 250 in a rampage of rape, torture, and murder Oct. 7 in southern Israel.  About 10 months later, as pro-Hamas protesters march in this country to “free Palestine,” they call for the death of America. As they burn the American flag, they burn all that my family has worked to achieve.   As the protesters pledge their allegiance to Hamas, they encourage a group that my grandmother wouldn’t hesitate to call a terrorist organization that operates with a strategy of human sacrifice.  Think about it. Why are there no Hamas military bases in the Gaza Strip adjoining Israel? Because the terrorists hide behind their own people.   They dress like noncombatants in Gaza. They establish bunkers in hospitals. They commandeer ambulances for transportation.   These actions are all in direct violation of Article 18 of the Geneva Conventions, the international pacts that set minimum standards during armed conflict for the treatment of civilians, soldiers, and prisoners of war.  One example is Hamas’ use of Gaza’s most important hospital, Al-Shifa. According to the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, Hamas uses a bunker under the hospital as a base for military operations. This not only makes the hospital a target, but takes medical resources needed for the sick.    In contrast, the Israel Defense Forces have given civilians in Gaza opportunities to evacuate and warned of impending attacks.  No other nation goes this far to protect enemy civilians.  How can I support pro-Hamas demonstrators who wish to end the nation that brought my family so much? How can I back a terrorist group that uses its own people as human shields? How can I hate Israel, when the IDF has worked to keep Palestinian civilians out of harm’s way?  I believe it’s important to point out that, contrary to popular belief, not all Arabs think the same. Some of us do see this conflict differently. And our thoughts and beliefs should not be snuffed out because they go against the “narrative.”    To some, perhaps our stance makes us walking oxymorons. But we are proud ones, nonetheless.  The post I’m a Palestinian American. Here’s Why I Can’t Support the Anti-Israel Protesters.  appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Victim in One of SF's Dismissed Criminal Cases: 'I Have Been Failed'

Washington state prosecutors said that two suspects arrested for the shooting death of a mother are a part of a greater organization targeting Asian victims. Snohomish County Major Crimes detectives said in a media briefing Thursday that 28-year-old Kevin Thissel and 23-year-old Chris Johnson were arrested for the shooting death of Irah Sok during a robbery in South Everett in 2022. 'They shot and killed one young mother as her 7-year-old child lay next to her in bed.' Both are facing a slew of charges, including first-degree murder, second-degree murder, and first-degree kidnapping"To create a climate of fear, these men burst into their homes in the middle of the night, dressed in black, claiming to be police, and with guns drawn," said U.S. attorney Tessa Gorman. "Tragically, they shot and killed one young mother as her 7-year-old child lay next to her in bed. This indictment seeks to hold them accountable for the terror they visited on our community." The ongoing investigation is looking for other suspects in the home invasion ring. "This senseless act of violence deeply impacted our community, leaving a young child without his mother," said Sheriff Susanna Johnson. Lynwood Police communications manager Maren McKay previously described the international home invasion ring after two other suspects were arrested in May. Detectives said members of the crime ring would put trackers on cars they found in parking lots of Asian grocery stores and then follow them home in order to rob their homes. Police said they targeted Asians because they perceived them to be "weaker." "We do suspect that we’ll have some arrests in the future. Unfortunately, detectives do believe that this might be an ongoing problem for the foreseeable future," said McKay. Detectives from the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office and the Lynnwood Police Department say that the group is responsible for at least 300 burglaries in King County and Snohomish County since 2021. The stolen goods added up to $5 million in cash and jewelry. A news video report from KCPQ-TV showed booking photos of the suspects. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

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