(NewsNation) — A spokesperson for a Wisconsin voter group criticized the U.S. government’s support for Israel’s actions in Gaza, calling on Vice President Kamala Harris to pursue an arms embargo against Israel if she becomes the Democratic presidential nominee.
Halah Ahmad, representing Listen to Wisconsin, said Wednesday that voters won’t tolerate “a policy of genocide” funded by U.S. tax dollars. Ahmad’s comments came in response to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to a joint session of Congress earlier in the day.
“It’s truly unprecedented. It’s the first time in U.S. history that a war criminal was hosted to speak on the floor of the U.S. Capitol,” Ahmad said on “NewsNation Now.”
She added that thousands of protesters, including major unions and grassroots organizations, were calling for Netanyahu’s arrest and for Congress to stop arming Israel. Thousands protested outside the Capitol condemning the war and the humanitarian crisis created by it.
Netanyahu’s visit came under the shadow of arrest warrants sought against him by the International Criminal Court over alleged Israeli war crimes against Palestinians. The United States does not recognize the ICC warrant.
Some Democrats are growing furious at the death toll and humanitarian crisis, especially with Arab Americans and young voters promising a protest vote at the polls in November.
About 13% of Democrats in the primary for Michigan, a key battleground state in November, voted “uncommitted” instead of for President Joe Biden during the primary.
“Voters have made their voices heard. It’s time for elected leadership to earn that vote,” Ahmad said.
More than 60 Democrats and political independent Bernie Sanders boycotted Netanyahu’s speech. The most notable absence was right behind him: Harris, who serves as president of the Senate, said a long-scheduled trip kept her from attending.
The spokesperson also suggested that Harris’ choice of a running mate could send a message to voters concerned about the Israel-Gaza conflict.
Ahmad expressed reservations about potential candidates such as Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, known for his pro-Israel stance, and instead pointed to figures including Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer or former Rep. Andy Levin as potentially more acceptable to voters seeking a “balanced perspective” on the issue.
Protests have been taking place across the world since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war which erupted after Hamas and Islamic Jihad, two militant groups backed by Iran, carried out a devastating cross-border attack Oct. 7, 2023, that resulted int he killing of 1,200 people in Israel and the kidnapping of 250 others.
The Israeli response, an offensive in Gaza, has caused widespread devastation and killed around 30,000 people, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry.
Hamas said its attack was in response to the continued Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories, the blockade of the Gaza Strip, the expansion of illegal Israeli settlements, threats to the status of the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the plight of Palestinian refugees and prisoners.
On the Israeli side, there’s immense anger and a strong push to bring the remaining hostages back, a goal Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is committed to achieving through this military offensive.
The Associated Press and NewsNation partner The Hill contributed to this report.