Rep. Brian Mast, R-Fla., wore an old Israel Defense Forces uniform to work on Friday at Capitol Hill to show his solidarity with Israelis, entering their seventh day of war against the terrorist group Hamas.
And that old uniform? It's Mast's; he volunteered with IDF in January, 2015, at a base outside Tel Aviv. And he wore it proudly to a meeting of House Republicans on Friday as they continue to endeavor on finding a new speaker.
"As the only member to serve with both the United States Army and the Israel Defense Forces, I will always stand with Israel," Mast posted to X. "Tlaib's got her flag. I got my uniform."
Mast was referring to Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., a member of The Squad who is of Palestinian heritage and flies the Palestinian flag outside of her office. Tlaib is facing censure over her remarks last weekend, blaming Israel for the killing, raping and kidnapping — among other atrocities — of Israeli citizens, including women and children, at the hands of Hamas over the country's "apartheid system."
Tlaib released that statement Saturday, while terrorists were still roaming freely inside Israel's border and killing citizens indiscriminately.
Mast also served in the U.S. Army for 12 years. He was medically retired after losing both of his legs and a finger to an IED in Afghanistan in 2010.
All of which didn't stop Mast from volunteering with IDF in 2015, moving supplies and packing medical kits on prosthetic legs.
"After Israel's war with Hamas in Gaza in the summer of 2014, I wanted to show my support for Israel in a tangible way. Whenever I show support, I do it with the work of my hands and not just with posts on Facebook," Mast told The Times of Israel in March, 2016.
On this day on Capitol Hill, an old IDF uniform would have to do.
Mark Swanson ✉
Mark Swanson, a Newsmax writer and editor, has nearly three decades of experience covering news, culture and politics.
© 2024 Newsmax. All rights reserved.