US Congressional Candidate Arrested for Hate Crime Against Israeli Father

A US congressional candidate in Wisconsin was arrested on hate crime charges after verbally assaulting an Israeli father who was driving his young son to school.

Incident in Wisconsin Suburb

Matthew Arndt, a 54-year-old accountant and investment adviser running as a Green Party candidate in Wisconsin, was arrested following the confrontation on Thursday morning in Mequon, a suburb of Milwaukee. The Israeli father, who has lived in the US for about 12 years, was driving with a sticker on his car featuring the Israeli flag and the inscription "F*** Hamas." According to the father, Arndt tailed his vehicle without provocation, overtook him, rolled down his window, and hurled curses at Israel and Jews before zigzagging across lanes.

"Upload this to the networks. I'm running for Congress," Arndt shouted during the altercation, which the father recorded on video at a gas station.

"I wasn't sure if he was trying to run me off the road," the Israeli father told a local radio station, noting that his young son was sitting in the backseat and became frightened.

Political Fallout and Arrest

During the filmed confrontation, Arndt cursed the "Israeli lobby," chanted "Free Palestine," and stated his name. Police classified the candidate's remarks as antisemitic. Although formal charges have not yet been filed, the Green Party issued a statement condemning his behavior.

Arndt later defended his underlying message while apologizing for his delivery, claiming the father had harassed him. Meanwhile, his campaign website continues to call for severing ties with Israel, even as local authorities and political figures address the incident.