A U.S. Marine veteran shared a video on social media where he is seen covering bullets in bacon as a warning to 'jihadists" amid the conflict between Israel and Hamas militants.
On Instagram, U.S. Marine veteran Steven Gern posted a video on October 14 with a caption that reads, "Where's all you Jihadist? Let's get this Jihad going."
In the video, Gern is holding a gun with bullets placed in front of him as he says, "I was just asking about the jihadists, man...when do ya'll plan on getting this frigging jihad kicked off?"
"We're ready, so I was just wondering when you all plan on getting this ready," Gern says before showing a piece of bacon and rubbing it on the bullets. "I mean, I'm just asking when you want to get this jihad going because we're ready. We are ready. So whenever you're ready, let us know, so we can get started. Don't worry, got a little pig fat for you."
Consuming pork or pork products is forbidden in Islam.
Newsweek reached out to Gern via social media direct message for comment.
Gern's video came amid concerns relating to calls for a "global day of Jihad" by Hamas militants.
On October 7, Hamas militants launched a surprise attack on Israel. Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have continued subsequent attacks on parts of the Gaza Strip. Amid the fighting, Khaled Mashaal, the former leader of Hamas's political wing, called on followers to "Deliver a message through the squares and the streets, a message of anger, that we are with Palestine."
"Tribes of Jordan, sons of Jordan, brothers and sisters of Jordan...This is a moment of truth, and the borders are close to you. You all know your responsibility," Mashaal said, also mentioning the term "jihad," which promoted many officials around the world to express concerns.
The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs and National Security Council issued a joint statement on October 13, saying that "Against the background of Operation Swords of Iron, the Hamas leadership has called on all of its supporters around the world to hold a 'Day of Rage' tomorrow (Friday, 13 October 2023) and attack Israelis and Jews. It is reasonable to assume that there will be protest events in various countries that are liable to turn violent."
As of Wednesday, over 6,500 people in Gaza have been killed, according to the Associated Press, along with over 1,400 people in Israel.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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Matthew Impelli is a Newsweek staff writer based in New York. His focus is reporting social issues and crime. In ... Read more
