Matthew Arndt, 54, a Green Party candidate for Wisconsin’s 6th Congressional District, was arrested Thursday evening on a disorderly conduct charge with a hate crime enhancer following a road-rage confrontation with an Israeli father in Mequon.
The incident began Thursday morning when Arndt allegedly cut off the 41-year-old motorist, who was driving his young son to school in the Milwaukee suburb. The father, an Israeli immigrant who has lived in the US for approximately 12 years, had an Israeli flag sticker on his vehicle that read “F–k Hamas.”
“Someone was driving behind me. I have an Israeli flag sticker with ‘F–k Hamas,’ which, as far as I understand, is a terror organization that was declared so by the US,” the father said. “And I guess that really pissed off the guy behind me, and when he got the chance, he just got next to me and opened the window and started cursing and giving me the finger, almost trying to push me off the lane.”
The father said he tried to keep his distance from the aggressive driver, particularly because his little boy was in the back seat. He eventually followed Arndt into a gas station and began filming the encounter.
“I had my son in the back seat and tried to keep my distance from him, drove behind him, took a picture of his license plate, and when he pulled into a gas station I pulled in as well,” he recalled. “I have no idea why I did this, but I pulled in as well with my camera on and was like, ‘Hey, what’s going on?’ and the rest of it is in the video.”
The footage captures Arndt erupting when the father asks if he wants to say something.
“Yeah, you’re a f–king piece of s–t! You’re a f–king traitor!” Arndt shouted, pointing an accusatory finger at the stunned motorist.
“Why do you say this?” the dad asked.
“You’re a f–king Israel f–king traitor! F–k you! F–k Israel! Go f–k yourself!” Arndt raged.
During the confrontation, Arndt dared the father to share the footage and volunteered his political identity unprompted.
“You know what? Go post it on social media. I’m running for Congress in the 6th District, and f–k Israel! Go f–k yourself!” he shouted.
“Really? You’re running for Congress?” the incredulous dad asked.
“F–k the Israel lobby! F–k the neocons!” Arndt fired back.
Asked his name, the candidate declared, “Free Palestine! Matthew Arndt.”
“You’re a great guy. I’m definitely going to vote for you,” the father shot back sarcastically.
“The first thought that comes to mind is, even if I disagree with someone, I would never want someone that acts like this to run for congress,” he said. “Even if he and I don’t hold the same opinion, that’s fine, but that was violent. That was very aggressive and violent, and obviously having my son in the back seat, it was definitely uncomfortable for him.”
“He was getting nervous in the back seat,” the father added.
The father insisted his bumper sticker was directed solely at Hamas, not Palestinians broadly. “It doesn’t go against the Palestinians. I have nothing against the Palestinians. I definitely have an issue with an organization that wants the Jews dead,” he said.
Arndt works as a certified public accountant and investment adviser. His campaign website, titled “End the Cartel,” calls for breaking up monopolies, providing Medicare for All, and severing US ties with Israel. The site also touts religious tolerance, declaring that “America is for all of us—or it is not America at all.”
“I’m not here to ‘restore norms’ or ‘reach across the aisle’ or have ‘the courage to compromise’ just to preserve a corrupt system,” Arndt declares on the site.
The Green Party internationally has taken strong anti-Israel positions. The party in the UK voted to adopt a measure that treats Zionism—the support for the Jewish state of Israel—the same as bigotry, including racism.
Arndt did not respond to a request for comment following his arrest.