Republican congresswoman who has accused Israel of genocide and refused to back resolution condemning antisemitic attacks publicly promotes false claim that Trump-appointed judge has banned burning the Israeli flag.
By World Israel News Staff
A maverick Republican lawmaker who has accused Israel of genocide and spread conspiracy theories on subjects ranging from California wildfires to the 9/11 attacks is now promoting false claims regarding the legal status of the Israeli flag in the United States.
Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) appeared on Megyn Kelly’s SiriusXM podcast last week for an 85-minute interview, during which the 51-year-old congresswoman riffed for 14 minutes on the Jewish state and the alleged influence pro-Israel lobby groups hold over political leaders in the United States.
Among other claims, Greene told Kelly that a recent ruling by a federal court judge has made it illegal to burn the Israeli flag in the US.
The assertion is based on false claims spread online earlier this month by social media influencers on both the far-right and left, following a precedent-setting ruling in a lawsuit claiming that an assault during a pro-Israel protest constituted discrimination.
The case stems from a November 2024 attack by an anti-Israel activist from the Code Pink group on pro-Israel Jewish activist Kimmara Sumrall during a demonstration in Washington DC.
Sumrall, who was attending a pro-Israel rally, was wearing an Israeli flag as a cape, with the flag loosely tied around her neck.
The assailant, who had been taking part in a counter-demonstration opposite the rally, walked up behind Sumrall and yanked on her flag, choking Sumrall.
Police officers assigned to maintain order during the demonstrations arrested the assailant.
In addition to the criminal case stemming from the assault, Sumrall filed a lawsuit against the assailant, claiming that the attack constituted antisemitic discrimination.
In his ruling earlier this month, Washington DC District Court Judge Trevor McFadden, a Trump appointee, ruled that the defendant’s targeting of Sumrall for wearing a flag representing the Jewish state and bearing a religious Jewish symbol – the Star of David – constituted discrimination.
The decision, Sumrall’s attorney, Matthew Mainen explained, was issued within the context of an attack or other aggressive criminal action intended to intimidate the victim.
Despite claims promoted online, the decision was neither specific to the Israeli flag, nor infringed on the right to burn any flag – including Israel’s – as a form of free speech.
“The case law is clear that burning any flag is perfectly legal with the exception that, like anything else, it cannot be done with the purpose of threatening someone with violence,” Mainen told The Times of Israel.
“You can’t burn any flag, including the American flag, if it could be considered a true threat or incitement of imminent lawless action.”
That did not stop Greene from telling Kelly last week that the ruling established a special prohibition on burning the Israeli flag – despite the fact that the case in question does not even involve flag-burning.
“Israel is the only country I know of that has some sort of incredible influence and control over nearly every single one of my colleagues and it is — I don’t know how to explain it,” Greene claimed.
“This just came from Judge McFadden. He just had a ruling that you can burn any flag in the United States of America, including our own American flag, except you can’t burn the Israeli flag in America.”
Kelly, who had no previous knowledge of the case, said the ruling – as presented by Greene – was “ridiculous” and would be struck down on appeal.
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