PRESS ADVISORY: UNCOMMITTED WA CONTINUES THE CALL FOR CEASEFIRE AS BIDEN STEPS ASIDE
For Immediate Release: Friday July 22, 2024
Contact: Rhenda Meiser; 206-465-9532, uncommittedwa@gmail.com
SEATTLE—After President Biden’s announcement that he won’t seek re-election and is endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris, Uncommitted Washington leaders remain determined to advocate for a ceasefire in Gaza and to call for Democratic party leadership to move away from unconditional support for Israel’s war in Gaza.
As other Democratic candidates vie for the top role, Uncommitted WA will continue advocating for 1) a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and 2) an end to military funding to Israel.
“The Uncommitted movement has provided a powerful voice to the vast majority of Democrats who want a ceasefire in Gaza. This passing of the torch is in no small part due to this nationwide grassroots movement. It’s time for the Democratic Party to align with their base,” said Yazan Kader, an Uncommitted WA leader and uncommitted delegate to the National Democratic Convention. “Regardless of who the Democratic nominee is, Palestinians and our many allies in the ceasefire movement will continue to push for a permanent ceasefire and an end to military funding to Israel. We will support the nominee if they commit to these goals.”
Palestinian voices at the Democratic National Convention
Washington’s delegates to the Democratic National Convention include three Palestinian leaders who will be advocating for a ceasefire and an end to military funding to Israel. They are Rami Al-Kabra, the only Palestinian elected official in Washington state; Yazan Kader, a registered nurse who practiced at Harborview Medical Center during the pandemic; and Sabrene Odeh, a human rights and anti-human-trafficking advocate.
Kader and Odeh will attend as uncommitted delegates. Al-Kabra is a Biden delegate.
“The message remains the same: the Democratic Party needs to listen to its base—if they listen to the majority of Democrats who want an immediate and permanent ceasefire, which include key communities in their coalition who are Muslim and Arab Americans, young people, and anti-war voters, they will win,” he said.
“The International Court of Justice has defined what Israel is doing in Gaza as genocide. With the housing, climate and healthcare crises in the U.S., we need a President who will prioritize spending our hard-earned tax dollars on these issues instead of funding never-ending wars overseas,” he said.
The International Court of Justice announced Friday that Israel’s continued presence in the occupied Palestinian Territories is illegal.
“We must not forget that Palestinians face the brutality of the Israeli occupation knowing it is fully supported by the west,” said Odeh. “As the granddaughter of Palestinians who survived the Nakba, I will continue to advocate for the right of Palestinians to live freely and in dignity. I urge every candidate running for the presidency to recognize this country's complicity and to right this wrong,” she continued.
Most Washington Democrats want a ceasefire
Voters have signaled their disagreement with U.S. policy in Gaza in recent months. In March, 90,000 Washington voters voted “Uncommitted” in the presidential primary. Nationwide, 730,000 voted “Uncommitted” from eight states.
Then in June, the Washington Democratic Party overwhelmingly passed three resolutions including a call for a permanent ceasefire that passed with 89 percent approval. A resolution–sponsored by Rami Al-Kabra, the only Palestinian elected official in Washington state–calls on Washington’s Congressional delegation to:
Deliver immediate humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people, including restoring full funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA)
Join Rep. Jayapal in signing on to HR 786 (“Calling for an immediate de-escalation and cease-fire in Israel and occupied Palestine”)
Demand enforcement of the “Leahy law” when sending military assistance to Israel, which means stopping military funding to Israel as they commit gross violations of human rights.
Notably, a third resolution calling to end all military funding to Israel also passed.
According to a May Data For Progress poll, 83% of Democratic voters and 70% of all likely voters support a ceasefire in Gaza.
About Uncommitted Washington
Uncommitted Washington (uncommittedwa.org) is multi-racial, multi-ethnic, multi-faith, anti-war coalition advocating for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. Uncommitted’s all-volunteer, grassroots-led movement will continue using their votes to secure fair policies that ensure human rights and dignity for all.
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