‘I’d Bust Your Face Right Now’: Republican State Senator Gets Aggressive With Jewish Journalist After Being Accused of ‘Doing Israel’s Bidding’

X/@TheTNHoller

Tennessee State Senator Paul Rose (R) told a Jewish journalist he would punch him in the face on Tuesday after being accused of “doing Israel’s bidding as they push us into war.”

The state senator became aggressive towards Tennessee Holler founder Justin Kanew after Kanew grilled Rose over a bill which would force Tennessee to refer to the Palestinian West Bank as “Judea and Samaria.”

“Who gave you that bill? Senator Rose, who gave you that bill about the West Bank? Who gave it to you?” questioned Kanew as he followed Rose through the Tennessee State Capitol. “Are you worried at all about Israel’s influence on our government as they push us to war? You know they pushed us into a war, Senator Rose, and here you are doing their bidding. What do you think about that?”

The journalist continued, “You’re doing Israel’s bidding as they push us into war. I say this as a Jew with family in Israel, Senator Rose. Why are you doing Israel’s bidding as they push us into war?”

Rose then snapped, “You know, if I was at home, I’d bust your face right now, but I’m not.”

“Are you threatening me?” asked Kanew.

“No, sir, I’m not,” replied Rose.

After one of Rose’s associates remarked, “I’m the witness that he didn’t,” Kanew shot back, “The camera is the witness that he did, so don’t worry about that.”

“Senator Rose, why are you doing Israel’s bidding while they’re pushing us into war? That’s the question, and I ask you this as somebody with family in Israel, whose family survived the Holocaust,” Kanew went on. “Are you concerned at all that you’re doing Israel’s bidding as they push us into war, Senator Rose? There are Republicans who have issue with this. It’s not just Democrats. This isn’t a partisan issue. Why is it our business to be changing the name of something?”

As the state senator entered an elevator, Kanew concluded, “Take a swing at me then, Paul. Go ahead. See what happens. Paul, you’re too old to be doing stuff like that, man. You’re too old to be threatening people, dude. Maybe once upon a time, Paul, but I don’t see it right now. I don’t see it. I don’t see it these days, Paul.”

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