DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas became enraged over Senator Josh Hawley’s line of questioning on Tuesday.
The pro-Hamas social media posts made by a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officer were the subject of a congressional blowout that erupted during this year’s „Threats to the Homeland“ hearing.
Republican Senator Josh Hawley and DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas sparred during the annual Senate committee hearing on Tuesday after Hawley questioned Mayorkas about the public comments made by Nejwa Ali, a Palestinian DHS employee, that criticized Israel amid fighting in the Middle East.
The U.S. has seen rising tensions at home in response to the ongoing Israel-Hamas war that began after Hamas led the deadliest Palestinian militant attack on Israel in history. Israel subsequently launched its heaviest-ever airstrikes on Gaza. As of Tuesday, over 1,400 people had been killed in Israel and 8,525 people had been killed in Gaza, according to the Associated Press.
In the wake of the attacks, Ali made several posts referring to Israel as an „apartheid occupation“ and calling for Palestinian freedom at the expense of an Israeli „downfall.“ One message read: „Israel and every Israel has to remember one thing: respect our existence or expect resistance. Simple. No apologies. #freepalestine.“ Ali, who has been employed at DHS since 2019, is currently on administrative leave from the department. Hawley sent a letter to Mayorkas earlier this month calling for Ali’s termination.
During the hearing, Hawley pulled up some of the posts made by Ali, asking Mayorkas, „Is this typical of people who work at DHS?“
Mayorkas was fired up by the senator’s line of question, prompting him to angrily tell Hawley, „Your question to suggest that [the post] is emblematic of the men and women of the Department of Homeland Security is despicable.
