Safa Peera of Seattle speaks at the Washington State Democratic Party convention in favor of resolutions to halt U.S. military aid to Israel until it achieves a permanent ceasefire in its war with Hamas. Delegates passed three Gaza-related resolutions on June 23, 2024. (Jerry Cornfield/Washington State Standard)
BELLEVUE – Yaz Kader of Seattle is heading to Chicago in August, one of Washington’s two uncommitted delegates to the Democratic National Convention.
His aim is to amplify the desire of party progressives and Palestinians to see President Joe Biden apply more pressure on Israel to end its military offensive against Hamas that’s led to tens of thousands of civilian deaths in Gaza.
On Sunday, delegates at the Washington State Democratic Party convention added their collective voice to the effort by passing resolutions that call for halting U.S. military aid to Israel until a permanent ceasefire is in place, restoring U.S. funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, and establishing a steady flow of humanitarian aid into the war-torn region.
The much-anticipated votes came in the convention’s final hour. Emotions surged throughout the ballroom of the Meydenbauer Center when the debate began.
Supporters spoke of the rising death toll among Palestinian civilians, and the need for the U.S. to stop supplying Israel with weapons used in its deadly military offensive. They stressed that passing each one would send a resounding message of the party’s solidarity with Palestinians.
“If you believe that Palestinians are equal and their lives are worth saving, I ask you to vote with your hearts, show the world and the country that the Washington state Democrats stand on the side of human rights and freedom,” Kader said in his convention speech.
Tamara Erickson of Lake Forest Park said as a Jewish Democrat she’s told to “tow the party line and support unlimited resources going to the State of Israel.”
“But my values, my Jewish values, affirm the intrinsic worth and quality of all human life and compel me to stand in solidarity with my Palestinian brothers and sisters as they continue to watch their families and communities suffer and die under American bombs,” she said.
Delegates holding signs calling for a ceasefire stood behind Wafa Hassouneh, a Palestinian American, who said she was “terrified” for the safety of herself and her community, and for the future of those living in Gaza.
“I wonder about how a child is supposed to heal when he carries his brother into a hospital in a backpack, his dead body in a backpack,” she said.
Those speaking against the three measures voiced fear that passing them all could spur increased expressions of anti-Semitism.
David Kaplan of Seattle speaks at the Washington State Democratic Party convention about passing a resolution focused on achieving a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war. He opposed measures that he said did not recognize Hamas as a terrorist organization. A majority of delegates passed three measures on June 23, 2024. (Jerry Cornfield/ Washington State Standard)
“Resolutions like this can raise the temperature of the conversation locally, and that can lead to hate crimes against Washingtonians of the Jewish faith, while doing little to actually end the conflict thousands of miles away,” said Karol Brown.
Tana Senn, a delegate and state representative from Mercer Island, spoke in favor of passing a resolution that expressed “profound sorrow over the loss of life in Gaza and Israel, that we want the ceasefire agreement that includes the release of hostages.”
But she opposed the measure with a provision to restart U.S. funding of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency. She said that would be wrong because the group doesn’t recognize Hamas as a terrorist organization.
“Let’s not ostracize Jewish voters, who are a key voting bloc for Democrats and our friends and neighbors. Rather, let’s together send the message in the first [resolution] that we want peace in the Middle East and in our Democratic Party,” she said.
David Kaplan of Seattle echoed Senn, saying one resolution conveys the party’s desire for a permanent ceasefire without conditions.
“Much of what is happening in Gaza is evil,” he said. Let’s vote for a resolution that reflects our values and “and get on with going out into the world and electing Democrats.”
Meanwhile, about two dozen protesters conducted a vigil in support of the resolutions outside the center.
“I would like to stop the genocide in Gaza. I would like the Democrats to start doing the right thing and stop sending bombs that are getting used to kill civilians,” said Rabbi Fern Feldman of IfNotNow, which organized the daylong presence.
Unlike the state Republican Party’s open and, at times, chaotic convention, the Democrats conducted theirs with precision, hewing to a tight script that limited numbers of speakers and debate on platform matters in pursuit of finishing party business on schedule.
There was trepidation, even concern, backers of the Gaza resolutions might disrupt proceedings. And delegates wondered if protesters might block the entrance to the center.
Party leaders struck a deal with resolution supporters: Stay cool and the measures would come to the floor which is what happened.
“What we wanted was the opportunity to vote on them,” Kader said, “The outcome is obviously what we wanted.”
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