Vote NO 2024: Our Cause

Background:

• At a talk with Cornell West in Dec 2023, Norman Finkelstein expressed his belief that Pro-Palestinian voters in the United States should organize and use their collective political leverage to demand concessions from the Biden Administration and the Democratic Party generally. 
 
• There are various state-wide initiatives currently aiming to do exactly this, particularly with respect to the primaries. Michigan recently made history in getting over 100,000 “uncommitted” votes, sending a message to the Administration about what is to come in November. There are similar initiatives currently organizing in Washington, Minnesota, Colorado and a handful of other states permitting “uncommitted” votes in Democratic primaries.
 
• The impact of Michigan’s uncommitted votes was immediately apparent: within days the United States both airdropped humanitarian aid into Gaza and called for a ceasefire (both actions were fundamentally flawed and solely used as a PR stunt to address election fears but, regardless, reflected a pivot in US foreign policy). However, an overarching, national effort is still missing. 
 
• Enough is enough. We refuse to continue to allow our votes to be complicit in genocide. You want our vote, Joe? You want to avoid another four years of Trump, and the devastating consequences that will entail? Earn it.
 

 Now What:

• We hope to create a national registry of Pro-Palestinian US voters that vow to withhold their votes until certain concessions are made by the Democratic Party and the Biden Administration. 
 
• In having as many Pro-Palestinian voters take such an oath, particularly in the midst of what will surely be an incredibly competitive election, we hope to amass political capital and use this as leverage to force the White House and the Democratic Party as a whole to no longer be “progressive, except for Palestine”.
 
• Should we succeed in signing up a notable amount of voters our group has certain connections to both the White House specifically and the Democratic Party generally and we hope touse this leverage to negotiate the future of the American left with respect to Palestine. 
 
The Demands:
  • United States calling for an immediate and permanent ceasefire;
  • United States immediately providing for Humanitarian Aid into Gaza;
  • Increase UNRWA funding to 150% pre-October 7th funding levels;
  • Immediate plan for and steps towards a two- or three-state solution;
  • Ceasing any further financial aid to the State of Israel (or alternatively, making this aid conditional on their accepting the proposed 2/3 state solution referred above). 

 

Like many of you, we are angry. Scared. We feel like we are losing our minds on a daily basis. How is nobody seeing what is happening? How are, not just people, but our ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES, SUPPORTING this? And yet, in just over six months we are supposed to go to the polls and vote for the same man that has enabled this genocide since day 1? Pardon our language - but fuck that. 

Yes, the consequences of another Trump presidency will be truly devastating, something none of us want. But we can no longer permit this Administration to reap the rewards of our votes while they continue to bomb and ravage our homeland. 

This country has a choice. Stop the killing. Or we ALL lose. Help us force their hand.