In an unsettling act of protest that adds another tragic component to the war in Gaza, a 25-year-old U.S. Air Force member, Aaron Bushnell, set himself ablaze outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C. While dressed in his military fatigues, Bushnell live-streamed himself declaring “Free Palestine!” and lighting himself on fire to make a statement against Israel’s military effort to eliminate terrorist group Hamas.
This was clearly the act of a troubled individual suffering from mental health problems. It was later revealed that he was immersed in left-wing extremist content on the internet.
One would think that reactions to Bushnell’s suicide would be filled with grief and alarm. Yet, there are many among the anti-Israel elements who are celebrating his act, praising him for taking his own life to express solidarity with the Palestinians.
Sunday, 25-year-old Senior Airman Aaron Bushnell doused himself with gasoline outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington, DC, and set himself ablaze. He shouted "Free Palestine" as he was burning. Before killing himself, he prepared a will and set up a Twitch account to video the action. As he walked to the embassy gate, he read a prepared statement.
I am an active duty member of the United States Air Force. And I will no longer be complicit to genocide. I am about to engage in an extreme act of protest. But compared to what people have been experiencing in Palestine at the hands of their colonizers—it's not extreme at all. This is what our ruling class has decided will be normal.
On social media, a number of high-profile individuals lauded Bushnell’s suicidal protest, calling him a hero. Pink Floyd frontman Roger Waters chimed in, calling the veteran an “American Hero.”
Aaron Bushnell
— Roger Waters ✊ (@rogerwaters) February 27, 2024
All American Hero.
“Night after night going round and round my brain, his dream is driving me insane, we cannot just write off his final scene, take heed of the dream.”https://t.co/uN3sAbH8U6 pic.twitter.com/ixUA9HT4XH
U.K.-based journalist Richard Medhurst referred to Bushnell as a “Martyr for Gaza.”
Aaron Bushnell: American Hero, Martyr for Gaza pic.twitter.com/Gwdo0JLtwL
— Richard Medhurst (@richimedhurst) February 28, 2024
Many regular folks were also expressing support for Bushnell’s suicide.
Millions of people are celebrating Aaron Bushnell as a hero for his protest outside of the Israeli embassy.
— BreakThrough News (@BTnewsroom) February 28, 2024
His protest also reflects a growing crisis within the US military.
BT's @KeiPritsker explains the military recruitment crisis and the potential mutiny within its ranks pic.twitter.com/Eatm2ctWxk
The notion that people would actually celebrate a troubled man’s suicide because of politics demonstrates just how depraved America’s political discourse has become. This was not a case in which an individual bravely sacrificed his life to defend others from imminent harm. This was the act of a mentally ill person with misguided political beliefs that led to this awful tragedy. His actions were also a reflection of the lack of care the nation provides for its veterans suffering from mental illness.
Celebrating this suicide is inappropriate, to say the least.
For starters, heaping praise on the veteran for killing himself romanticizes self-harm and suicide. It could potentially inspire other mentally ill people to view such extreme actions as a valid form of protest. Glorifying the taking of one’s own life for political purposes is far from being a constructive response to this incident.
Instead, people should take this as an opportunity to educate more people about mental health and the importance of taking care of those who are suffering in silence.
Secondly, Bushnell’s suicide obscures the nuanced debate necessary for understanding and resolving the Israel-Palestinian conflict. While his actions drew a significant level of attention, they will not do anything to promote peace and safety for civilians on either side of the conflict. All eyes are on Bushnell’s extreme protest, not the plight of Palestinian civilians being caught in the crossfire of a brutal war Hamas started on October 7.
Lastly, promoting Bushnell’s suicidal statement undermines the efforts of those on both sides seeking a peaceful solution to the situation in the Middle East. These individuals are working tirelessly to bridge divides and foster productive conversations on the matter. This act simply sensationalizes a complex and pressing issue. Exalting violence and self-destructive behavior does not move the effort forward and only detracts from the actual work of pursuing peace.
Bushnell’s death should serve as a somber reminder of the depths of despair that many members of our Armed Services find themselves in. For this man to burn himself to death to protest Israel shows that he could have been one of millions of people whose issues go unnoticed and untreated. It is not something to celebrate; it is an opportunity to address mental health in America.
