Nearly two weeks after an anti-Israel protest in Seattle escalated to assaults, leading to three arrests, Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) denounced the violence.
“There is no place for violence in protest, and I condemn the alarming rise in attacks against the Jewish community here in Seattle and in Europe,” the senator stated on Friday.
She appeared to be referring to the protest outside a StandWithUs event held at Town Hall in Seattle and to an attacker who stabbed two Jews in London earlier in the week.
“Our Jewish neighbors must be free to hold political opinions, practice their religion, and walk our streets free from fear of violence or persecution,” the senator stated. “People of all faiths should be able to live and practice their religion in peace, and legitimate protests should be directed at governments, not ethnicities.”
Cantwell has voted to support U.S. security funding for Israel and sponsored legislation targeting boycotts of Israel. In April 2026 she voted to advance two resolutions disapproving of continued sales of U.S. weapons to Israel, citing her desire to “avoid a larger conflict in the Middle East.” Both measures failed, and Cantwell later removed the statement from her website.
“The president needs to come before Congress. Until then, I do not support further resources for this conflict,” she stated. “Senate Democrats and Republicans must come together to fight antisemitism in the United States and condemn it wherever it’s found, online and around the world.”
