A current member of the U.S. Air Force set himself on fire outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington on Sunday. According to journalist Karol Markowicz, the man's name is Aaron Bushnell, and he claimed to be protesting the "genocide" occurring in Gaza.
The dramatic scene was caught on video, of which still images have been released.
(WARNING: Viewer discretion is advised)
The man who set himself on fire at the Israeli embassy is Aaron Bushnell, currently in the US Air Force.
— Karol Markowicz (@karol) February 25, 2024
UPDATE: I got footage of the self-immolation at the Israeli embassy in DC.
— Talia Jane ❤️🔥 (@taliaotg) February 25, 2024
The individual, wearing fatigues, introduces himself as “an active duty member of the U.S. Air Force and I will no longer be complicit in genocide.”
After ignition, he repeatedly yells “Free Palestine.” https://t.co/wk5LGK4Hp2 pic.twitter.com/EX1L8zG8tR
Bushnell proclaimed he could "no longer be complicit in genocide" after setting himself on fire, eventually falling to the ground and screaming in pain. The USAF is not currently engaged in operations in Gaza.
Police arrived almost immediately, with one drawing a gun. Fire extinguishers were then used, and according to the latest information, the man is still alive and at the hospital with life-threatening injuries.
One cop (white shirt, maybe security, it’s not clear) begins spraying him with a fire extinguisher, the cop with gun drawn remains stationary. White shirt yells “I don’t need guns, I need fire extinguishers!” More cops arrive, as do EMTs. 3 fire extinguishes are used.
— Talia Jane ❤️🔥 (@taliaotg) February 25, 2024
I'm not sure what Bushnell was hoping to accomplish with this act. Clearly, there's some kind of psychological issue at the base of this, as no normally functioning person sets themselves on fire. With that said, his protest makes no sense. It is not Israel who started the war in Gaza. It was Hamas.
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If the war is to end, Hamas must surrender or be defeated. The repercussions of the hostilities fall at the feet of the terrorist government that chose to invade Israel and murder over a thousand people in cold blood. Given that, perhaps he should have made a trip over to the U.S. Office of Palestinian Affairs instead of the Israeli Embassy.
The moral arguments surrounding the Israel-Hamas war remain severely warped. This all ends the moment the hostages are released and Palestinians decide they want to focus on something other than killing Jews. Until that point, the operation to destroy the terrorist threat in Gaza will continue.
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