Progressive megadonor George Soros funds the anti-Israel groups behind a demonstration outside Democratic National Committee headquarters where six police officers were assaulted Wednesday night.
Protesters with IfNotNow, Jewish Voice for Peace, and the Democratic Socialists of America gathered outside the Democratic headquarters to pressure lawmakers to support a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war. According to U.S. Capitol Police, six officers were assaulted, including some who were pepper-sprayed, when they tried to prevent demonstrators from blocking an exit from the building with a dumpster. Officers arrested one man, 24-year-old Ruben Camacho, who punched a female officer in the face.
"We have handled hundreds of peaceful protests, but last night's group was not peaceful," Capitol Police said in a statement.
Wednesday's violence could draw scrutiny for supporters of the left-wing groups, especially given the focus in recent years on assaults of Capitol Police officers on Jan. 6, 2021. Soros's philanthropy, Open Society Foundations, has given $650,000 to Jewish Voice for Peace since 2017 to fund the group's "human rights" work in the Middle East. Open Society awarded $400,000 to IfNotNow in 2019 and 2021, the Washington Free Beacon reported.
Soros, the Democratic Party's most prolific donor, has contributed $1,036,500 to the DNC since 2020, according to campaign finance records.
The Democratic Socialists of America counts five House Democrats as members, all of whom have been critical of Israel over its response to last month's Hamas terrorist attack, in which 1,200 Jews were slaughtered. The Israeli military has responded with targeted strikes against Hamas strongholds in Gaza.
Open Society recently called for a "humanitarian ceasefire" in Gaza, asserting that Israel was engaged in an "indiscriminate" retaliatory response. "There is a growing chorus of credible voices warning of violations of international humanitarian law; alleged war crimes, including forced displacement; and the risk of mass atrocities, including ethnic cleansing," Open Society said.
That echoes some of the sentiments of the left-wing groups engaged in Wednesday's violence.
"We refuse to standby as the Israeli government commits genocide against Palestinians in Gaza," Jewish Voice for Peace said at a protest it organized in the U.S. Capitol last month. "Inevitably, oppressed people everywhere will seek—and gain—their freedom," the group said.
Open Society Foundations did not respond to a request for comment.