Dr. Hamawy’ Call for an End to War a Model for all 12 NJ Dem Candidates for Congress (and the Senate Seat)
EDITOR’S NOTE: If I was in an organization with Dr. Hamawy (click foreign policy) and this was a statement we were debating for the group I would believe it to be a good starting point and maybe tinker with it some as participants in statement drafting tend to do.
However as a statement of a lead Democratic Party candidate in NJ’s 2026 Midterm show down I believe this statement from Dr. Hamawy’s campaign site is a very solid basis that should provide the model for NJ’s Congressional candidates, Democrats and independents alike.
Personally I would say something also about Israel and Lebanon and Israel’s role in pushing the US toward war escalation with Iran but since this statement was written probably months ago by Dt. Hamawy I am guessing he would not have a problem with that idea.
I believet that a good way to push for peace in NJ is for all of the voters to take this statement – read it and and send it to all the congressional candidates and tell them this is the litmus test for support.
Currently there are only 3 NJ Democrats that will likely be part of a Peace Block in Congress: Dr. Hamawy (if and after he wins and Bonnie Watson Coleman qualifies now), Lamonica McIver and Analilia Mejia. I am not saying they are perfect candidates but that they are likely more inclined to lead the struggles against war in the US House of Representatives.
Most Members of Congress never have to face the consequences of the votes they take on foreign policy. As a former U.S. Army combat surgeon who served in Iraq and as a physician who has volunteered on medical missions to warzones all over the world, I have confronted the human cost of decisions made by those in power. For me, foreign policy is not some far off thing – it’s personal.
These experiences have shaped my core principles of foreign policy: diplomacy, restraint, and humanitarianism. The U.S. government should broker peace, not war. It should send books, not bombs. It should build, not destroy. It should benefit people, not corporations.
In 2024 and 2025, I went on medical missions to Gaza. While bombs were falling, I treated patients. In three weeks, I treated more children than I have in all other warzones, combined. We did not have basic medical supplies. What I witnessed was a genocide, paid for with American tax dollars and propped up by our foreign policy.
Every year, we spend billions of dollars on bombing civilians in other countries instead of supporting children and families here at home. I am running for Congress to raise this question of our priorities. In the richest country in the history of the world, we should be paying for healthcare, not bombs.
As your Congressman, I will fight for:
An end to war.
I served in Iraq – the so-called war on terror was a failure. The regime change wars are a failure. War serves no one, except for cowardly leaders and corrupt interests.
Significantly cutting the trillion dollar Pentagon budget.
The Pentagon continuously fails audits while the defense industry grows richer and richer and our tax dollars are used to fuel conflict abroad. It’s time to slash the bloated Pentagon budget and reprioritize what Congress spends our money on. It’s time to focus on healthcare, not bombs.
Reclaiming Congressional authority over war powers.
Congress has not declared war since World War II and has not authorized use of military force since 2002. Somehow, we are still always at war. The president does not have this authority in the Constitution and it is time for Congress to reclaim its power. Congress cannot give a blank check to Donald Trump as he launches conflicts and risks the lives of our service members and civilian populations across the globe.
Rigorous enforcement of Leahy Laws and arms embargoes on countries that violate human rights.
We should not be funding foreign militaries or making arms sales to countries committing gross human rights violations. I support cutting off military aid to these countries, including Israel.
Justice for Palestinians and an end to apartheid in Israel.
On medical missions to Gaza, I witnessed genocide. On medical missions to the West Bank, I witnessed apartheid. I will fight for justice and equal rights for Palestinians, including support for the Palestinian Right of Return under international law.
Standing up for human rights and against atrocities everywhere.
We cannot be the world’s judge, jury, and executioner. We should instead fight for human rights, civil liberties, and freedom of speech. We must always stand against religious persecution, ethnic cleansing, genocide, and discrimination against minority populations everywhere. A human rights-first foreign policy is critical to achieving justice and peace.
Re-engagement with the international community.
Unfortunately, the Trump administration has dismantled some of our best vehicles to engage positively with the global community, whether that be via humanitarian aid, cultural exchange, or participation in international bodies and agreements. This is a huge loss and represents a further centering of US foreign policy on militaristic imperialism, rather than on diplomacy and friendship. In Congress, I will work to roll back the dismantling of agencies like USAID, push to rejoin treaties like the Paris Agreement, and I will also work to establish new means of engaging positively internationally. I support the Department of Peacebuilding Act, which would establish a cabinet-level Department of Peacebuilding (DoP) dedicated to preventing violence and fostering a culture of peace at home and abroad.
Strong labor and climate provisions in international trade agreements.
International trade agreements must include protections for the rights of workers and the environment. We cannot afford deals that leave American workers behind and set us further back on climate goals.
Enforcement of international agreements on climate.
Trump sold out our country to the fossil fuel industry and pulled us out of crucial international agreements to address climate change. We must rejoin these agreements and follow through on our financial commitments.
