Dear Fellow Progressive Peoples,

It’s a week and a day to the election of 2024. I’ve already talked with several of you in person and seen what you’ve been saying on Facebook: that you’ll not vote for Harris because of her and Biden’s support for Israel. I totally understand and plan to continue being friends with you and respecting you (if you’ll have me) after November 5th, no matter what you decide. As many of you know, I have been working with an amazing, multigenerational group (ages run from about 20 to over 80!) called Jews for Ceasefire. We have been consistently agitating for free speech, for the right for pro-Palestinian protestors to speak out against violence. We have been speaking out against the use of “Jews” to mean only people who support this war against Gaza. So, I am on your side: I too want the U.S. to reconsider its blanket support for arming Israel. I have been very moved by Israeli friends on Facebook who post beautifully and meaningfully in favor of divestment as the only route to peace. Like you, I want a return of the hostages, an immediate ceasefire and cessation of the brutal murder of tens of thousands of innocent civilians, and a two-state solution that makes Palestinians and Israelis equal.

Your decision to not vote for Harris, as I see it, is, though, a vote for Trump. Trump will increase military aid to Israel, and foster war, division, hate, anti-education, anti-Black, anti-Latinx, anti-choice, anti-trans, anti-Muslim, and certainly anti-Palestinian policies.

I want desperately to pull the democrats left — I’ve been leaning my entire weight into that particular tug-of-war ever since I can remember — I’ve been pulling and pulling left. And sometimes it feels like progress: gay marriage, trans rights, abortion rights (formerly), being able to be part, unimpeded, of the largest protests our country has known, in the Covid summer of 2020, after the unjustified murder of George Floyd. We have a very long way to go. Working towards Ranked Choice Voting would be a first step in being able to get a true picture of this country and I assume of seeing how very many more leftists there are than anyone can count without Ranked Choice Voting. Protecting Voting Rights in general really matters. If significant numbers of people, even in states that are entirely blue, do not vote for Harris, she could lose the popular vote, lose the White House, and we will have gained a fascist whose VP pick has publicly stated he wants to destroy our universities.

We cannot let that happen. Let’s elect Harris and then keep tugging on that leftward rope.

Here is the letter I have just sent to VP Harris:

Dear Vice President Harris,

I plan to vote for you enthusiastically on Tuesday! But it is time for you to acknowledge your leftist supporters and not only court the Liz Cheneys of the world. We progressives would like to see you acknowledge more boldly, and more often, that the war in Gaza is unjust and must end. You already know that you have lost many votes in Michigan and nationally by people who will not support violence against innocent civilians. You have the power, even one week before the election, to make a bold stance and declare that you see the pain of the very vast and broad coalition in support of Palestinian rights, and you will try to foster peace. I write as a Jewess who has been very active in the Jews for Ceasefire movement and who believes that we have been weaponized by the Right against our will. We have been vocally speaking out against this weaponization and we very much hope that you will recognize the diversity of opinion among American Jews and not be part of the problem of lumping us into one voice when we in fact are many voices, with many opinions. I very much hope to celebrate on your inauguration day! But in order for that to happen, you will need to address the pro-Palestinian movement — as I said in my last note to you — the uncommitted should have been given a voice at the DNC. It’s time.

Thank you for taking a stance in favor of peace.

Brett Ashley Kaplan