Where do the Governor’s Candidates Stand on the NJ Dem Party Crackdown on Palestinian Solidarity?
This editor has put the question to the announced NJ Gubernatorial candidates for 2025, Josh Gottheriner, Mikie Sherrill, Steven Fulop, Sean Spiller, Ras Baraka and Steve Sweeney. I have put the question to them in a tweet and as per usual at my attempts to communicate with public officials and also often with media, I expect my question to them to be ignored. Even this publication of the question on this public news outlet will likely not be acknowledged by the candidates themselves. I suspect though that they will likely be aware of this question being asked in the open air and in front of communities that are interested in the answer.
It is no secret that NJ’s Democratic Party at the state level in the Assembly and State Senate, Democrats are at the forefront, albeit united with the Trump-ian Republicans, behind repressive laws mandating NJ’s citizens and residents to accept as truth pro-Israel doctrine and that if we do otherwise these laws will define it as “anti-Semitic.” The expression of protest of genocide, the occupation, starving babies, blowing up babies, all of that will be considered anti-Semitic and espousing views that contradict the pro-Israel narrative could result in arrest and prosecution under the laws that NJ’s Democrat and Republican parties are pushing in Trenton.
These laws could end up on Murphy’s desk this year or the desk of one of the half dozen Democrat candidates if they should prevail in an election in 2025, or on the desk of one of the Republican candidates Jon Bramnick, Jack Ciattarelli or Bill Spadea if any of them prevail for NJ Governor in 2025. If they pass before elections in 2025, the next governor will be the one that will likely be facing decisions as to whether to send police and national guard to quell protests against contiuing genocide.
This editor did not even bother including the Republican candidates in the tweet and is pretty sure they are supportive of Trump’s pro-Israel extremes both in support of genocide and in support of fascism toward those who dare to question the genocide.
The question must be asked. This editor has put the question in the form of an article to Ras Baraka. I wrote an article about it and tweeted it and e-mailed it to Ras Baraka without getting any acknowledgment. I asked him where he stood on the repressive legislative attempts led by NJs’ Democratic state legislative leadership toward Palestine solidarity activists.
Nonetheless with the tweet below I am refreshing the question to the whole set of Democrat candidates. Now Josh Gottheimer we already know and he has stated as a central plank of his campaign that he wants to call the cops on the pro-Palestinian movement. He votes for the most extreme measures against pro-Palestine constituents including in the first round of voting on the fascist enabling HR 9495. The article I wrote about Gottheimer was in the tweet I sent to all of the candidates.
On June 20, a NJ Senate committee voted in favor of the problematic IHRA Bills S1292 and S2937 despite resounding opposition. Although these bills have passed the committee, they are not in effect yet. Where do the vast field of Democratic NJ Gubernatorial candidates stand on our protected First Amendment free speech rights, our rights to a free press, to free assembly? Do they agree with Gottheimer – will they too be calling the cops? They have been silent throughout the efforts that we undertook to fight these bills for almost a year now, as has been Governor Murphy.
The only one to step forward – or perhaps in this case – backwards – is Gottheimer which to his credit – at least he puts his position out there so we know what we are up against. Certainly we reject Gottheimer and his fascist plans for NJ!
So have at it candidates – or completely ignore it as has your strategy been. Rest assured though there are 10s of 1000s of NJ voters ultimately interested in this question and this news site, FightBackBetter.com will continue to relenetlessly focus attention on this issue as the most important issue for the 2025 Governor’s race.
Are you going to let Gottheimer speak up for you or is someone else going to voice a more nuanced position? Are we going to hear some mumbo jumbo that you have been listening to both sides and have not made your minds up? Or more silence as it has been from the whole lot of you while we have been in the trenches trying to protect the protected free speech rights of all NJ citizens and residents and visitors? Will any of you stand up and say that you will defend the rights of the pro-Palestine advocates, the opponents of genocide, those calling for an arms embargo and cutting all aid to Israel? Will you denounce the fascist measures your party is advancing in unity with Trump-ian Republicans and declare that you will not enforce fascist laws denying our protected speech rights?
Or is this a half dozen rotten egg candidates when it comes to defending our free speech and free press rights and free assembly rights in the state of NJ?
