The air crackled with tension in the nation’s capital as U.S. Park Police officers braced themselves at Columbus Circle for what would become a violent showdown against anti-Israel protesters.
From my perch on the seventh floor of The Heritage Foundation’s nearby headquarters, I watched with a mixture of disbelief and dread July 24 as a sea of protesters marched down Massachusetts Avenue NE, just blocks from the Capitol.
From outside Union Station, their derisive chants about Israel penetrated the building as I glared at their placards expressing rage toward Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who spoke to Congress that day.
But it wasn’t until I saw the first lick of flame near the Columbus Memorial Fountain in front of Union Station that I realized the true gravity of what was unfolding.
Protesters lowered three American flags outside Washington’s…
