34th, 36th, 37th, and 43rd LD Democrats condemn Sen. Cantwell for her vote pro-Israel votes and actions
The 34th, 36th, 37th, and 43rd LD Democrats of Washington State voted to condemn Sen. Cantwell for her vote pro-Israel votes and actions, including her refusal to vote to ban arms sales to Israel.
Myriam Sabbaghi (National Antiwar Coalition) said on a Peace Action zoom meeting on Sept 4th:
The 37th LD Democrats [of Washington State] got this resolution passed last month by a vote of 48 to 2, also condemning Cantwell:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qSWDYz3m5jddL0mdBsmrJalTeZbpHWkm/view
And after that, the 34th, 36th, 43rd passed slight variations of the same thing. And the 46th will pass something soon. There was even a push to get the Dems state committee to pass similar language, but the party hacks squashed it. But it definitely caught Cantwell’s attention. Cantwell asked to meet with the 37 LD Democrats.
Here is a link to the 37th LD resolution: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qSWDYz3m5jddL0mdBsmrJalTeZbpHWkm/view?usp=drive_link. Its summary is:
At its regular monthly membership meeting on August 11, the 37th Legislative District Democratic Party organization voted to condemn Washington Democratic Party Senator Maria Cantwell for her failure to work towards peace and justice for the Palestinian people in Gaza. Specifically, they called out Senator Cantwell for posing for a photo with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on his visit to Washington DC during the first week of July, and noted Cantwell’s pro-Israel funding stream is compromising her positions, including her refusal to condemn the Israeli genocide in Gaza. Netanyahu has been indicted for war crimes, and is subject to arrest under a warrant from the International Criminal Court. The resolution passed on a vote of 48 to 2, suggesting a significant change in the Seattle Democratic Party as it shifts towards recognizing the rights of the Palestinian people for peace and justice. “I’ve been working on this issue for a long time in the Democratic Party,” commented resolution author Amy Hagopian. “It used to be very contentious to back a Palestinian state or oppose a Democratic Party elected official’s eagerness to send weapons to Israel to use in its violent campaign against Palestinians, but the more vicious and cruel Israeli Occupation Forces become, the more public opinion is shifting.” While a majority of Democratic Party Senators voted July 30 to prohibit the sale of $675 million in weapons to Israel, such as 1,000-pound bombs and Joint Direct Attack Munition guidance kits used in airstrikes on civilians, Senator Cantwell did not join them, and instead supported continuing to provide weapons to Israel. By contrast, Washington Senator Patty Murray joined the majority in opposing the weapons sale.
The resolution criticized Senator Cantwell for posing with Netanyahu in a photo-op: Bipartisan Group of Senators Meets With Netanyahu Despite ICC Arrest Warrant.
A state party insider says that state party chair (and DNC Vice-Chair) Shasti Conrad is working behind the scenes to squash anti-Cantwell resolutions. Also, Senator Cantwell said she’d meet with the 37th LD Democrats, but only if they withdraw the resolution.
I will add to this blog post when I learn more about the issue.
