During his tenure as a Congressman, current vice presidential candidate Tim Walz voted to condemn a United Nations resolution that said Israeli settlements in the West Bank were illegal.
I believe that a majority of Democrats believe the settlements are illegal.
It appears that continued US support for the theft of Palestinian territories beyond the UN-sanctioned 1967 border risks causing Democrats to lose this election in November.
The Republicans are no better on Israel, but our two-party majority electoral system favors blaming the incumbent party for everything negative.
I believe that Trump’s victory in 2016 was a vote against Hillary. Biden’s victory in 2020 was a vote against Trump. And the vote this November will be, in part, a rejection of the Democratic candidates for the suffering in Gaza.
Those who believe that U.S. aid to Israel supports genocide want an alternative. If they leave the presidential election blank, they could cause the Democrats to lose. That’s what happened in 2016 and it seems likely to happen again in 2024.
The most positive vote I can think of so far would be to write in the box on my ballot: “For Harris and Walz from a supporter of the 1967 UN border in Israel.”
This way of voting is more positive than leaving my candidacy for president blank. This use of the handwritten ballot allows me to maintain my integrity by voting for a positive solution for peace in Palestine and also voting in a way that favors the Democrat over the MAGA Republican.
Clark Rieke
Cedar Rapids
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