Wash. coalition pushes for Democrats to vote ‘uncommitted’ in next week’s primary
Mar 4, 2024, 1:21 PM | Updated: 1:46 pm
Israeli soldiers patrol near the border with Gaza on March 4, 2024 in southern Israel. Over the weekend, the vice president of the United States, Israel's foremost international ally, voiced the most forceful demand yet that there be an immediate ceasefire in the conflict, imploring Hamas to agree to the a six-week pause in fighting and calling on Israel to increase the flow of aid into the territory. (Photo by Amir Levy/Getty Images)
(Photo by Amir Levy/Getty Images)
A Washington coalition of political and social groups claims that more than 20,000 Democratic voters in the state will vote “uncommitted” in next week’s presidential primary.
“Vote Uncommitted WA” said it hopes denying President Joe Biden delegates will pressure him to do more to get a cease-fire deal done in Gaza.
“I’m voting uncommitted because, like all of you, I can’t take one minute longer of the slaughter of Palestinians in Gaza,” said Rebecca Harris Liebermann, granddaughter of Holocaust refugees. “That it is being done in my name and my grandparents’ names is a knife in my stomach I feel every hour, every day.”
Voters cite the similar push seen in Michigan
They cite the similar push seen in Michigan’s Democratic Party primary election, where 13% voted uncommitted.
Other news: Supreme Court restores Trump to ballot, rejecting state attempts to ban him over Capitol attack
“We are a national movement of Jews and allies working to end U.S. complicity in Israeli apartheid and genocide,” Matt Whiner, a volunteer for Jewish Voice for Peace. “Washington voters, including Jewish votes like me, are sending Biden a clear message in the Democratic primary. We reject the fueling and funding of Israel’s genocide in Gaza.”
Over the weekend, Vice President Kamala Harris demanded that Israel allow more aid into Gaza and that Hamas agree to an immediate six-week cease-fire deal. “People in Gaza are starving,” she said Sunday. “And our common humanity compels us to act.”
The remarks — some of the starkest yet from the Biden administration — came ahead of Harris’s scheduled meeting in Washington on Monday with Benny Gantz, an Israeli war cabinet member and opposition leader.
“Overwhelmingly Americans, both Democrat and Republican, Jewish, Christian, and Muslim are clear that they want a cease-fire and they want peace,” Liebermann said. “But right now, we do not have a candidate for president who speaks for us.”
More news on Gaza: Biden is trying to balance Gaza protests and free speech rights as demonstrators disrupt his events
Over 30,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza
As of February 29, 2024, the Gaza Health Ministry reported that over 30,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip since the start of the Israel-Hamas war. This includes over 10,000 minors and 8,800 women.
More than 100 ceasefire resolutions have been passed by city councils, county councils, local Democratic groups, and state Democratic parties across the United States.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
Bill Kaczaraba is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read his stories here. Follow Bill on X, formerly known as Twitter, here and email him here.
