WA state Democrats pass Gaza-related resolutions as National Convention approaches
Members of the Washington State Democratic Party voted Sunday to send a message about their stance on Gaza and Israel by adopting three resolutions related to the ongoing situation overseas.
The three resolutions include calling for an immediate ceasefire of the Israeli war on Gaza, restoring funding to The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) and reducing harms to civilians in Palestine.
Several delegates spoke to the crowd before the adoption of the resolutions, including Tamara Erickson, a Jewish Democrat from the 1st Legislative District.
“As a Jewish Democrat, I’m told that I should toe 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. “Palestinian freedom and Jewish safety are intertwined.”
The move to pass the resolutions, which were passed by a wide margin, comes ahead of the National Democratic Convention scheduled in late August in Chicago.
The votes were not without controversy, however, and opinions in the room were split on the necessity of all three resolutions.
Rep. Tana Senn, D-Mercer Island, was in attendance as a delegate and spoke to the crowd before the adoption, urging the adoption of the ceasefire agreement, but not the other two resolutions.
Senn urged delegates not to vote for the resolution to fund UNRWA by claiming that employees working for the organization are part of Hamas, a claim that has been largely debunked according to reporting by NPR.
“Humanitarian aid is critical, but we can find other organizations to provide that,” Senn added. “Do we need another resolution on the same subject that moves us further from rather than toward an agreement? I would venture to say no.”
The resolutions related to the conflict in Gaza were just three of several adopted by the state’s Democratic party during the convention over the weekend. Other resolutions included one on legalizing sex work and one stating that nuclear energy is not a solution to climate change.
About a dozen Pro-Palestinian protestors also gathered outside Meydenbauer Center Sunday in anticipation of the vote by delegates.
In total, 703 delegates gathered in Bellevue over the weekend, with a total of 1,023 delegates participating in the process.
