As the conflict in Gaza continues to claim lives and devastate communities, New Jersey’s Democratic US Senate candidates have taken distinct stances on the military offensive that has resulted in the deaths of thousands of children.
Peace activist Lawrence Hamm, war refugee Patricia Campos-Medina, and hawkish warmongering Congressman Andy Kim have each articulated their positions, highlighting the issue’s complex political landscape.
Hamm, a former Newark school board member who has led the People’s Organization For Progress since it was founded in 1982, was the first US Senate candidate to make a passionate plea for a ceasefire in Gaza on October 25, just two weeks into the war.
Emphasizing the humanitarian crisis unfolding as Israeli forces staged a brutal war of retaliation in response to the Hamas terror attack on October 7, 2023, and he called upon President Joe Biden and Congress to shift their focus from military action to providing comprehensive humanitarian aid to the affected population along.
Hamm’s stance aligns with his lifelong commitment to peace and human rights, stressing the devastating impact of the conflict on Palestinian civilians, particularly children.
“The majority of Americans don’t want to see the nation embroiled in yet another war. Especially one that could involve the deployment of U.S. troops. The Biden administration should listen to voices of Americans calling for a ceasefire instead of the right-wing Netanyahu regime,” said Hamm. “I urge the administration not to plunge the United States into what may turn out to be a more costly and disastrous debacle.”
He urged the Biden administration to seek the safe return of hostages, address the humanitarian crisis, and work towards a just solution that recognizes Palestinian rights and self-determination with diplomacy to de-escalate the conflict.
Campos-Medina, a candidate with personal experience living through war in El Salvador, voiced her support for a ceasefire and a negotiated peace agreement on January 10, 2024, about one week after she announced her candidacy.
Drawing from her personal experiences, Campos-Medina condemned violence against civilians on all sides and called for diplomatic efforts to de-escalate the conflict and protect innocent lives.
“I know what war is like and I will always do all that I can to prevent it, to encourage peace and the protection of civilian lives across the globe,” said Campos-Medina. “I was fortunate to survive a brutal 12-year civil war in El Salvador. After eight years of family separation, my brothers and I eventually reunited with my mom and dad in the United States. But I will never forget the trauma of war. And I will never stop fighting to keep families together, to protect children and invest in peace.”
Kim became the latest centrist corporate Democrat to change his tune regarding the administration’s support for Israel—and despite months of intensifying demands from progressive lawmakers and the international community for President Joe Biden to push for a change in policy from Israel, the newly minted critics have appeared to have more success.
Often supportive of military adventures, Kim’s position on the conflict shifted over time, particularly regarding his approach to advocating for a ceasefire.
Initially supportive of Israel’s brutal and indiscriminate retaliation, Kim’s recent call for a ceasefire came after key developments in the Senate race and the deaths of seven aid workers associated with celebrity chef José Andrés, the founder of the World Central Kitchen.
Only one month ago, Kim remained vocally supportive of Israel’s military action in Gaza, including massive bombings and the land offensive, calling those efforts ‘self-defense’ while rejecting calls for a cease-fire despite the deaths of thousands of children.
Kim first called for a cease-fire on March 31, 2024, after incumbent Bob Menendez and Tammy Murphy abandoned the race for New Jersey’s Democratic Senate nomination.
Observers suspect that Kim’s position is more a politically expedient response to mounting international pressure, than concern about the humanitarian crisis and its impact on children.
Hamas should also have understood that its surprise attack, would only invite more Israeli-Palestinian violence, settler attacks on the West Bank, and more tension in Jerusalem—a reality that was clear within days of October 7, 2023.
Israel’s actions have also, however, sharply increased Gazan, Palestinian, and Arab hostility to Israel and undermined the sympathy and support it gained after the initial invasion by Hamas.
All of the neighboring Arab states face severe political and economic strains in meeting the demands of their existing populations so Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria seem very unlikely to accept large numbers of Palestinians from Gaza or the West Bank.
After World War II, the United States and its allies tried to ensure that such a disastrous global struggle would never happen again.
One critical part of the structure of peace was a core principle: freedom to create, innovate, and build a brighter future would result in global prosperity. Nearly 80 years on, there is plenty of evidence that wealth accumulation has been unfair and even exploitative, but there is indeed vastly expanded wealth, peace, and opportunity.
Global poverty dropped 86 percent from 1950 to 2020.
Hamm and Campos-Medina recognized that it was in the interest of the United States to swiftly help stop a pointless, cruel, and expensive war because building peace is far smarter and safer than any act of aggression.