Echoing the Biden administration’s efforts to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-Paterson) – who represents one of the country’s largest Palestinian American communities – said today that he supports a conditional ceasefire in Gaza.
“I agree wholeheartedly with the President that Hamas must agree to the ceasefire deal being negotiated that gets hostages out and humanitarian aid in,” Pascrell said in a statement. “The scale of suffering in Gaza is ghastly and unacceptable, and my heart aches for those affected.”
President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have pushed in recent weeks for a six-week ceasefire deal that would involve Hamas freeing its remaining Israeli hostages and Israel allowing increased humanitarian aid to reach besieged citizens in Gaza. Biden also announced last week that the United States would begin airdropping supplies to Gaza, a move which Pascrell lauded but said was not enough.
“The Biden administration was right to start air dropping supplies, but a trickle of aid cannot suffice,” Pascrell said. “Only with a ceasefire of hostilities can we provide the robust support and medical care necessary to address this crisis of historic proportions. As always, our long-term goal must be two states living side-by-side in peace and security.”
Pascrell’s 9th congressional district includes Little Ramallah, an area in Paterson and Clifton that’s home to around 20,000 Palestinian Americans – many of whom have personal connections to those who have been killed or injured in Gaza.
In the early months of the conflict between Israel and Hamas, Pascrell was not among the few members of Congress to call for an unconditional ceasefire. That angered many of his local Muslim constituents, one of whom said to Politico NJ that “there’s not a chance in hell anybody’s going to be supporting him” for re-election this year.
Pascrell told the New Jersey Globe in January that Hamas was to blame for the war in Gaza and that pushing for an unconditional ceasefire “would have been the dumbest thing politically,” given the fact that Hamas had attacked Israel first and still held many Israeli hostages. But he also affirmed that he strongly supported the Palestinian people and the longer-term creation of a two-state solution; his statement today in support of a conditional ceasefire could further quell some of the discontent against him in his district.
Nonetheless, it looks as though the 87-year-old congressman will indeed face a primary challenge this year with Gaza as the main focus.
After several other prospective challengers decided against campaigns, the New Jersey Globe reported yesterday that Prospect Park Mayor Mohamed Khairullah plans to run against Pascrell in this year’s Democratic primary. Khairullah, who immigrated to the United States from Syria in 1980, was put forward by local Muslim leaders in the 9th district as their preferred nominee.