Genocide and US Elections: In this way, we have already won!
Editor’s Note: To be clear, I am *not* suggesting that Jill Stein is going to have a come from behind win in the 2024 presidential election. While that is a statistical possibility and if some horrible event occurs before Tuesday that opens the eyes of people now planning to vote for Kamala or Trump – it is even possible. I am not suggesting that is going to happen. It is a close race – to me it looks like Trump is edging out Kamala in most of the battleground states. However, I am not in the election prediction business. When Hillary lost to Trump I was sure she was going to win. For the last several presidential cycles – nationally – the votes have been near the 50-50 mark. I do not believe there is a valid prediction of the winner right now.
But the anti-genocide efforts have had many successes this election cycle even if it seems as of now that either Trump or Kamala intend to continue their current support for Israel and every one of its genocidal and war escalating actions. The evidence is the ongoing and insidiously weaponizing tech devices or blowing up 100s of Gazans daily. CAIR (Council on American Islamic Relations) regularly issues press releases like “CAIR Predicts Biden Silence on the Latest Massacre of 100s” , Israel’s push toward total Middle East War continues unabated, fueled with endless funds and weapons sales being sent by the U.S. to Israel while enriching US weapons manufacturers – unfortunately, all of that is likely to continue.
The election has not and will not end the genocide. There has been a chorus demanding that Kamala implement a weapons embargo on Israel (or at least express her support for one) before the elections, neither of which has happened. Genocide opponents seem to be looking for a way to justify backing Kamala, but to no avail. There was a momentary (and false) tease when the BIden Adminstration said that if Israel does not let aid reach Gaza in 30 days there would be some pause in weapons sales, but the end date for that 30 day limit fell after election day. The anti-genocide efforts saw right through that election stunt attempt.
What are the election victories of the anti-Genocide efforts?
The anti-genocide efforts HAVE accomplished much. One thing we in the U.S. Palestine Solidarity effort have learned from the Palestinians is to continue to fight relentlessly against all odds and not to be discouraged by the seeming lack of progress. We need to keep our eyes on the long game and continue regardless of whether it seems like the “powers that be” are listening. Throughout 2024 we have been out in front of rallies and activities held by genocide complicit politicians announcing that “WE WONT VOTE FOR GENOCIDE”. We made it very clear to all that genocide is a “red line” for voters – even having a massive rally where the White House was absolutely surrounded by a giant red line. No clearer message could be presented to BIden – Harris that they risk losing the election by their continued support for genocide.
Both mainstream political parties have done everything they can to keep the issue of the US genocide out of the elections debate. Candidates and elected officials of both parties overwhelmingly support Israel, support slaughtering Palestinians and support using fascist repression and violations of protected free speech to try to undermine the relentless opposition they have faced from citizens and residents of the US, including massive student rallies last spring. Many candidates have acted like Palestine is not a significant issue.
“What do you mean?” they say. “Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good,” as if supporting and being complicit in genocide is just another issue, instead of the moral issue of the day. Media and civic groups have consistently excluded Green Party candidates from debates, leaving out the one strong and consistent voice against genocide. If the media covers the differences between the candidates, they have largely glossed over or omitted doing a thorough and deep treatment of the genocide of Palestinians, both in Gaza and the West Bank.
After all, most Democrats and Republicans support the genocide. Candidates on both sides receive thousands of dollars and, in some cases millions, to promote the AIPAC (American Israel Political Action Committee) line that “Israel has a right to defend itself” and that U.S. politicians’ support for Israel is “ironclad,” never mind asking themselves whether the killing of thousands of women and children can rightfully be considered “self-defense.”
Supporters of Kamala Harris have been vehement in their attempt to strike down and attack anyone who says “But Palestine!” in elections discussions. While they remind us all of the fascist yearnings of Trump they themselves have sounded an awful lot like a Trump-ian fascist in their denunciation of the dignity and the necessity and the right to fight against the slaughter of Palestinians – as if Palestinians do not even deserve to have someone stand up to say stop the killing and stop the bombing. Bottom line is the system, the politicians, the media and the supporters of the genocide candidates have done everything to try to keep the issue of Palestine out of the election contest.
Guess what? It didn’t work!
No it did not! The pro-Palestine taunt has echoed throughout 2024 and the entire nation when politicians came out in the public have continued – in spite of all of the efforts to silence us. “Kamala, Kamala, you can’t hide. We charge you with genocide!”
Everywhere Kamala Harris goes her speeches are drowned out by protesters calling for an arms embargo on Israel and an end to the genocide. The relentless taunt has forced the media to take notice and report on the disturbances. It has caused the politicians to reveal their genocidal fangs in their harsh reactions.
There has been a lively chorus of commentary throughout 2024 providing insights as to the unity of Harris and Trump when it comes to Israel. Attempts by pundits and supporters of the Democratic Party that “Trump would be worse” have been ridiculed and discredited.
There has been discourse in the media also about the impact the genocide might have on the election results. There is great concern among Kamala support circles and among the pundits that given how close the election appears to be, plus the disturbingly poor showing of Kamala Harris in battleground states, that any chipping away of likely Kamala voters due to her stance on the on-going genocide could sway the elections.
Most Important Development: Independence of American Muslim and Arab Voters
Usually constituent voting groups only consider whether they are voting for a Democrat or Republican. The Arab and Muslim organizations made clear things are different because of the genocide that we’ve seen unfolding on our cell phone screens throughout the end of 2023 and all of 2024. First, there was an Uncommitted primary campaign and then the community included Jill Stein and the Green Party and other candidates clearly pro-Palestine in their analyses and surveys. Muslim groups untethered by 501-C3 restrictions (the C4 groups) openly support Jill Stein for president. In NJ, the CAIR Action group (501-C4) carefully considered the positions of the complete slate of Green Party candidates and endorsed almost everyone – from Jill Stein for President, Christina Khalil for US Senate and almost the entire Green Party congressional slate. In its last survey of Muslim voters before election day, CAIR found that Jill Stein and Kamala Harris are in a statistical tie with 37% of the Muslim voters each as of now. These are tremendous historic developments – clearly, election results are going to be impacted.
In past elections, Muslim and Arab voters leaned toward Democratic Party candidates. So the shift in Muslim votes to Jill Stein is making Kamala’s path to a win in 2024 more difficult. Indeed it is possible that Kamala Harris’s continued “iron clad” support for Israel and her exhortations that there won’t be any change in US support for Israel – along with her complicity in over a year of genocide against Palestinians, could very possibly result in her defeat.
And we must make it very clear . . . if that occurs there will be tremendous bloviations and false blame aimed at Jill Stein, at Muslim and Arab American voters, at all of us that say NO TO GENOCIDE and NO VOTES FOR GENOCIDE – and that will be a BIG LIE!
The voting behavior that is new and developing to reject both capitalist and pro-Israel owned parties is a result of the genocidal actions of both of those parties. The political establishment was well warned – the echo of “You’re committing genocide” rings in the ears of these genociding politicians from Kamala Harris on down. It is not the fault of voters choosing against genocide. How could anyone logically expect that Palestinians would vote for those responsible for murdering their families. In some cases, the number of family members lost to single, extended families could reach as high as 150. Nobody owns our vote. Our votes must be earned. If Kamala loses, the lesson should be – well, that’s what happens when you support murderous genocidal policies!
Regardless of whether Trump or Kamala wins on November 5th, we will face more genocide, and the possibility of a continually emerging WWIII brought to us by the U.S./Israel alliance. In addition, we face fascist repression of our freedom of speech, including our right to say we are anti-war and anti-genocide. Many of the efforts to impose the fascist and false International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) conflation of mandatory loyalty to Israel with Judaism are overwhelmingly led by Democratic Party members of the U.S. House of Representatives, U.S. Senators and state legislatures, as well – including in NJ.
And if Trump wins we will also be smeared – falsely – as the cause of the loss of the genocidal Democratic Party and that will make the loyal Democrats spew more hate toward Palestinians and their supporters. But they only have themselves to blame and really need to look in the mirror to see that their policies will not stop the destruction of U.S. democracy, but will, instead, continue to contribute to the loss of our democratic rights. In fact, genocide and democracy are antithetical and cannot co-exist.
The biggest Democratic Party stunt in 2024 was to insist that Biden’s obvious dementia challenges were not going to be a factor until only weeks before the election when they made a quick switch to Kamala Harris. When Kamala ran in the 2020 presidentical primary, she got about 1% of the vote and won no delegates. The public reaction to her was negative over all. Her policies were a big question mark when she was approved as the presidential candidate at the Democratic National Convention. The candidate swap at the last minute will be the most important reason for the Democratic Party fail. There are many ways the Democratic Party and its candidates have demonstrated their campaign incompetence but that will not deter them. Nor will it give them pause to examine why they may lose and what could have been changed. There have been repeated missteps in one campaign cycle after another, many of which are well documented. But loyal Democratic Party supporters always find it more convenient (though incorrect) to blame Jill Stein (or Ralph Nader) and the Green Party.
So YES – the anti-genocide and pro- Palestine effort has made its point loudly and clearly. Ending the criminal genocide is first and foremost ahead of anyone’s political or electoral agenda. We have made that point successfully in many ways and are already being factored into the analysis and predictions for November 5th, especially in the swing state of Michigan, but in other battleground states where Muslim voters (and their ever-growing movement of allies) are an especially large factor.
We have put the exclamation point at the end of the statement “WE WONT VOTE FOR GENOCIDE!” and the whole world knows that.
A total victory would be Jill Stein winning the presidency. That is possible statistically, though it would take some extreme event to happen today or tomorrow to cause that sea change – so it is not likely. However, we have been victorious in fighting our way into the election debate and onto the floor of the Democratic National Convention and making our anti-genocide demand a factor in the election.
Like the Palestinians, we will continue our relentless work against genocide and injustice, while keeping our eye on the long game. The historic break from the capitalist pro-Israel parties. This historic move away from the “duopoly” is led this year by Muslim and Arab voters and is the chink in the genocidal, pro-war armor – let’s keep pounding away at it so we can bring an end to the unquestioned and extremely costly support for Israel in all of its depravity toward the Palestinians and others.
CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL IN THIS STRUGGLE TO END THE GENOCIDE – LET’S ALL STAY ON OUR RIGHTEOUS PATH!
