1. United States
2. Ore.
3. Letter

We have, for months on end, watched thousands of Palestinian children and babies and mothers and grandparents die in bombed schools, hospitals, homes, and refugee tents. It seems like Israeli soldiers find joy in cruelty, burning down libraries and kicking little kids, dumping people in mass graves and bulldozing them, murdering doctors, blowing up aid workers. Too many times, I have heard from the democratic party that you stand with Israel’s “right to defend themselves,” that it is a long and “complicated” history - and it seems like weird talking points that just don’t stand up to the reality that we are seeing. Why is it so hard to speak out against Israel? I just voted for Susheela Jayapal for Earl Blumenauer’s seat in congress, assuming she was clearly the best candidate. One of the reasons I voted for her is because she was the only candidate who clearly publicly articulated opposition to Israel’s 70+ year ethnic cleansing of Palestine and how the United States has given billions and billions of dollars to make it happen. I found out that AIPAC has dumped millions into Oregon’s federal elections to smear anyone who has spoken out in support of Palestine. It worked! Now I have to have Maxine Dexter, who I have to assume will be complicit in Israel’s crimes, since she benefited from AIPAC’s money. I am writing to ask you: are you representing me, or AIPAC? Can you tell me, seriously, is there anything Israel could do that would lose you? When I was in high school my dad loved talking about McCarthyism and how bad it was, and I’m like: Dad, what are we going to call this era? Where no one is allowed to speak out against Israel’s occupation, ethnic cleansing, and genocide because… what? Like, PLEASE SPELL OUT FOR ME: what’s the bad thing that will happen? That Hamas will win? What does that even mean??? I want the Palestinian people to get their land back! I want my Jewish friends to stop feeling so ashamed of what is being done in their name. I want our tax dollars to stay here to help us with the MANY problems we have in this nation! Like campaign finance reform for example! Like egregious wealth disparity! Like teachers getting cut and the climate crisis! Why is all this cruelty worth it to you? To stand against the United Nations? To keep dumping money and weapons into Israel? It makes zero sense to me and I am terrified of the implications for our democracy that AIPAC is controlling my local elections now. No more money or weapons to Israel, aid to Palestine now!