Why Blinken’s interrupted press conference was fitting end to his time in office

Departing US Secretary of State Antony Blinken bids farewell to State Department staff in Washington. AFP

It’s ironic that in his final press conference in office, Secretary of State Antony Blinken made news – not because of something he said, but because of what was said to him.

As Mr Blinken was in the middle of his opening remarks to reporters, independent journalist Max Blumenthal, who runs the Grayzone news site, shouted at him that “300 reporters were on the receiving end of your bombs - why did you keep the bombs flowing when we had a deal in May?”

State Department security guards eventually ushered Blumenthal out, as he yelled: “Why did you allow the Holocaust of our time to happen?”

The Biden administration has long faced criticism for its support of Israel and its refusal to halt weapons shipments to the country as it carried out its military campaign in Gaza, where more than 46,700 people have been killed.

To a large extent, Mr Blinken became the face – and voice – of that policy, never wavering from his support for Israel even as the death toll in Gaza soared.

But it was a second interruption, minutes later, that has drawn the most attention. Sam Husseini, an independent journalist with a long history of disruptively calling attention to Palestine, interrupted Mr Blinken and asked if he would “recognise the Geneva Conventions apply to the Palestinians”.

On X, the video has stirred up a debate over whether Husseini was justified in his actions and whether or not the other journalists in the room, myself included, should have jumped to his defence

Mr Blinken responded that he was happy to “address questions” later. Husseini then followed up by asking about the Hannibal Directive, an Israeli order issued after Hamas’s October 7 attack that allowed the military to use all necessary force – including harm to civilians – to prevent the capture of soldiers.

After being asked by the Secretary’s press team to be quiet and after Mr Blinken asked him to “respect the process”, Husseini continued to challenge him on America’s policy towards Gaza.

Three Diplomatic Security officers then surrounded Husseini and asked him to leave. He refused. They pried his hands free from the desk and carried him out by his arms and legs.

All the while, Husseini shouted at Mr Blinken. His final words as he was carried out of the room: “Why aren’t you in The Hague?”

The Secretary stood stone-faced at the podium.

I was sitting one row in front of Husseini, who has attended previous State Department briefings and shouted questions at spokesman Matthew Miller.

On X, my video has helped to stir up a debate over whether Husseini was justified in his actions and whether or not the other journalists in the room, myself included, should have jumped to his defence.

There is an etiquette to the briefing room that Husseini certainly broke. Mr Miller has long maintained that if you interrupt, it’s a sure way not to get called on – though not everyone is guaranteed a question.

When someone speaks out of turn, it not only disrupts the press conference but often eats into valuable time that could be used by other journalists to ask their questions. It's about respecting the people sitting next to you, not necessarily the people standing on the podium.

That being said, the questions and accusations Husseini hurled at the Secretary reflect the way many feel about how America has allowed Israel to prosecute its deadly war. It's also important to note that Husseini interrupted the Secretary, and not a fellow journalist.

Mr Blinken’s tenure at Foggy Bottom will most certainly be defined by the Israel-Gaza war.

Since October 7, 2023, Mr Blinken has carefully relayed President Joe Biden’s foreign policy to the world, never straying from his mentor’s vision as he steadfastly avoided making news.

I've travelled with the Secretary on multiple occasions. Up close, he is polite and courteous. But even in the more relaxed confines of the Boeing 737 that he used to travel in as Secretary of State, he never strayed from his talking points.

Throughout his four years, he was always measured and polite in his interactions with the media but careful to avoid making any news.

Even in his final press conference, when asked whether the US was about to issue sanctions against the leader of the Sudanese Armed Forces, he sidestepped the question, only for the Treasury Department to announce the sanctions shortly afterwards.

And so in the end, Mr Blinken's final press conference will be remembered not for the substance of his words but for the frustration of a journalist looking for answers on America's policy towards Palestinians.

Even if Husseini had waited his turn, he would not have received the answers he was looking for.