A Maharashtrian, Thanedar grew up in Belgaum in Karnataka. He came to the US in hopes of becoming a successful businessman and now wants to serve the community he lives with.
Washington: Indian-American Congressman Shri Thanedar was targeted by a group of anti-Israel protesters over the weekend blowing car horns and screaming for his “silence” on the deaths of Palestinians in Gaza and his stand on the Israel-Hamas war. “This is my home at 3 AM,” Thanedar wrote in a post on X on Monday, including a video that showed cars lined in the street outside his home, an individual waving a cloth-like material, and others screaming through megaphones.
Thanedar, 68, has taken a staunchly supportive approach to Israel following the horrific attack by Hamas militants on October 7.
“You are complicit in the bombing of Gaza Your silence is violence. Your silence is abhorrent, and we will not let you sleep!” one protester shouted. “There will be a price to pay,” the protester added before becoming largely inaudible.
Another protester in the video is shown holding a sign that read, “20,000 Gazans dead! wake the f–k up Shri!”
This is my home at 3 AM Sunday night. https://t.co/B7LIc98nvV
— Shri Thanedar (@ShriThanedar) December 18, 2023
Thanedar has expressed his strong support for Israel on his campaign website, including vowing to “defend Israel’s right to exist and to thrive.”
“In this time of great international uncertainty, it is now more important than ever before to reaffirm as a people, and as a nation, our unequivocal support for the state of Israel, the lone Democracy in the Middle East and one of our closest, and strongest, allies across the globe,” the Democratic Party lawmaker from Michigan wrote.
He has also described Hamas as a barbaric terrorist organisation and there is a need to eliminate the terror outfit.
I was just hacked, and a misleading tweet was sent from my account. I have deleted the tweet and taken steps to secure my account. My official statement on Israel is below: pic.twitter.com/XxBXfsoD2I
— Shri Thanedar (@ShriThanedar) December 5, 2023
Thanedar recently formed the Congressional Caucus for Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists and Jains.
A Maharashtrian, Thanedar grew up in Belgaum in Karnataka. He came to the US in hopes of becoming a successful businessman and now wants to serve the community he lives with.
More than 19,400 Palestinians have been killed since Israel declared war on Hamas, according to the Health Ministry in Gaza. Thousands more lie buried under the rubble of Gaza, the UN estimates. Israel says 127 of its soldiers have died in its ground offensive after Hamas raided southern Israel on October 7, killing about 1,200 people and taking about 240 hostages.