U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., is amongst a minority group of congressional members who continue to advocate for Palestinian rights amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.
“The human suffering is incomprehensible … there are reports of children dying from hunger, dehydration, and lack of medicine,” Khanna told theGrio.
The progressive lawmaker said a permanent ceasefire and the release of Hamas hostages “should be the very clear policy of the United States.”
To date, more than 30,000 Palestinians have been killed, including mostly women and children, since the Middle East conflict began on Oct. 7.
Khanna told theGrio that he was inspired by the late anti-apartheid activist Nelson Mandela to speak up for Palestinians.
In June 1990, Mandela sat down with ABC anchor Ted Koppel during a town hall at City College in Harlem. There, he spoke about the struggles between Israel and Palestine.
“Mandela had a vision for two states. He talks about the need for a secure Israel and the Jewish people standing side by side with the city of Palestine,” Khanna recollected. “We can learn from his vision.”
Recently, Congressman Khanna spoke at St. Luke AME Church in Harlem, located a short distance from City College, where he condemned the Israeli-led attacks against Palestinians.
“I spoke about the need to end violence in Gaza, for a ceasefire and the release of Israeli hostages,” he recalled.
The California representative is not the only member of the U.S. House of Representatives who has demanded a ceasefire in Gaza.
For months, Reps. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., Cori Bush, D-Mo., Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., and a few other progressive House members held several press conferences at the U.S. Capitol, demanding the Biden-Harris administration advocate for a permanent ceasefire and intervene on behalf of Palestinians to prevent further bloodshed.
Just recently, Senate…
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