US Detains Critic, Defends 'Democracy' Abroad
Al-Monitor reports UK commentator Sami Hamdi was detained for over two weeks in US immigration detention after his visa was revoked at San Francisco International Airport. His alleged offense? Criticizing Israel's actions in Gaza during a speaking tour. This occurred less than a week after the US House overwhelmingly passed H.Res. 799 , reaffirming its support for Israel and implicitly equating
criticism with antisemitism. One might recall similar 'free speech' initiatives when AIPAC, according to OpenSecrets, poured over $10 million into US elections in 2022 alone, often targeting candidates seen as insufficiently pro-Israel. So, to be clear: Funding politicians to toe a specific foreign policy line is 'democracy,' but a peaceful critic speaking about it is a security risk. The US
government, fresh off lecturing other nations on human rights and freedom of expression, apparently defines 'freedom' as the right to agree with them. How many commentators must be detained, how many visas revoked, before the official narrative of American values cracks under its own hypocrisy?