In a statement issued by the council on Monday regarding the incident , CAIR's director of government affairs, Robert McCaw, condemned Ben -Gvir and his bodyguards' attempts to intimidate the woman wearing a keffiyeh.
"It makes no sense that this war criminal freely harassed Americans while college students peacefully protesting his crimes were detained in immigration detention centers," Macau said.
The statement quoted Palestinian-American citizen Sabreen Odeh as saying that while she was waiting in the hallway of the Rayburn Building in Congress, Ben-Gvir and his bodyguards approached her, before he gestured to them and asked them to intervene against her.
Awda said that one of the guards then walked quickly towards her and passed beside her "as if he intended to attack" her, with the aim of intimidating her.
More than a week ago, Ben-Gvir arrived in the United States, his first visit since assuming his position at the end of 2022 and since US President Donald Trump took office last January. During his visit, Ben-Gvir was met with pro-Palestinian chants in several locations, according to video clips circulating on social media.
Ben-Gvir also faced criticism from supporters of the families of Israeli prisoners in Gaza upon his arrival at Florida Airport, according to clips also circulating on social media.
Both Ben-Gvir and Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich continue to make extremist calls for settlement expansion, annexation of the West Bank, occupation of Gaza, cutting off humanitarian aid to the Strip, establishing settlements there, and displacing Palestinians from the territory.
In parallel with the genocidal war in Gaza, the Israeli occupation army and settlers have escalated their attacks in the West Bank, including the eastern part of occupied Jerusalem, resulting in the deaths of more than 958 Palestinians, the injury of approximately 7,000, and the arrest of 16,400, according to Palestinian data.