Never Again Is Now

“We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.”

— Elie Wiesel, Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech, December 10, 1986

Dear United States Elected Officials,

“Never Again” is now.

I spent nearly three years in Israel during high school and college between 2003 and 2009. My ties to the country—through family, friends, and formative experiences—run deep. I was raised in a staunchly Zionist environment and never questioned the need to defend Israel.

That began to change while studying International Politics and Security at IDC Herzliya. By 2007, I could no longer ignore the growing gap between Israel’s democratic ideals and its actions—prioritizing a Jewish state while sidelining the Palestinian right to self-determination. I left Israel and completed my studies at the University of Minnesota.

My thinking has continued to evolve. When President Biden said, “No Jew is safe in the world without Israel” it struck a dissonant chord. As an American, I believe our safety should not depend on a foreign state but be guaranteed here, at home, by our own democracy.

Israel’s actions under Netanyahu have moved far beyond self-defense. It now operates as an aggressor, with little interest in peace. This not only endangers Jews globally but undermines regional and global stability—including American security.

The United States’ dual posture—providing military aid to Israel while offering humanitarian assistance to Gaza—is untenable. At best, it’s hypocritical; at worst, complicit. I urge an immediate halt to military support until a ceasefire is reached, aid flows freely into Gaza, and a government committed to a genuine two-state solution—with equal rights for Israelis and Palestinians—is in place.

I joined thousands of Minnesotans in voting Uncommitted in the primary to protest the Biden administration’s uncritical support for Israel. Many lifelong Democrats like myself are deeply disillusioned. Biden still has time to course-correct, but the window is closing. This issue could cost the Democratic Party not only the presidency but critical down-ballot races as well.

The party must place the well-being of American citizens above outdated geopolitical loyalties. Civilian lives—Palestinian and Israeli—must not be collateral damage in a failed strategy.

In solidarity and hope for a better future for all of humanity.