Washington congressman's Bellevue home vandalized over Israel-Palestinian conflict

(The Center Square) - Washington U.S. Rep. Adam Smith said his home in Bellevue was vandalized on Nov. 30 due to his stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The Dec. 1 press release did not state how his home was vandalized but attributed it to "people advocating for a ceasefire in Israel and Gaza. This attack is sadly reflective of the coarsening of the political discourse in our country, and is completely unwarranted, unnecessary, and harmful to our political system."

He further wrote that "throughout the course of my career, my staff and I have continually met with groups from all parts of the political spectrum, including Pro-Palestinian and left-wing activists, and I remain open to meeting with these groups and discussing our differences and where we can come together in a productive and peaceful way. We must engage with politics in this way and reject the rise in political violence that we have witnessed over the past several years."

On Oct. 28, Smith wrote a press release statement regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, stating, "I strongly support the goal of significantly degrading and ultimately eliminating the Hamas terrorist organization. Israel must do all they can to make sure Hamas is never again able to carry out terrorist attacks. The horrors of the October 7th attack on Israeli civilians by Hamas militants should make that clear to everyone."

Smith represents Washington's 9th Congressional District.