Protesters urge U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids to support ceasefire in Israel-Hamas war
Protesters carrying signs that read “Stop Genocide of Palestinians” and “Permanent Cease Fire Now” made their way into U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids’ Overland Park office Thursday afternoon, demanding she sign a resolution urging a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war.
About 25 people from Jewish Voice for Peace KC, and members of Al-Hadaf KC, a local Palestinian organization, joined forces to criticize Davids’ continued support for Israel in a war that has killed thousands of civilians since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack.
Packed shoulder-to-shoulder in the office, the group repeated, among other chants, “Raising our voices, higher and higher, no more war, we call for a ceasefire” in a melodic tune between speeches from group leaders.
Jewish and Palestinian constituents alike called on Davids, a Democrat, to co-sponsor HR 786, a resolution calling for immediate de-escalation and ceasefire in Israel and occupied Palestine.
Most of the protesters with Jewish Voice for Peace KC wore all-black outfits and t-shirts that read “not in our name.”
“There is a huge misconception that the Jewish community speaks with one voice when it comes to Israel,” Jewish Voice for Peace KC member Michael Wolfe said.
“We do not all share the same opinions,” he said. “The Jewish tradition is rooted in values of justice.”
As the protest began, a staff member in Davids’ Overland Park office informed the media that it was “office policy” to not have media in the office. The employee told the press to “respect the private property” or she would “call the authorities.”
A spokesperson from Davids’ Washington office told The Star that the situation was a misunderstanding.
Wolfe later sent out a statement saying he was disappointed that Davids’ staffer allowed the protesters to stay, but forced the media to leave.
“It is disturbing that the Congresswoman, an elected official, would let her constituents be present but not members of the press,” he said in the statement.
While Davids’ was not in the office Thursday, The Star received written response saying she has unequivocally condemned the violence and prioritized the protection of innocent lives in both Israel and Gaza.
“She’s pushed the U.S. State Department to ensure appropriate humanitarian aid can be swiftly delivered where needed,” Davids’ press secretary Zac Donley wrote in a statement, referencing a letter Davids’ wrote to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken Oct. 18.
“As always, Rep. Davids supports and appreciates the right of all Kansans in the Third District to express their opinions and remains committed to ensuring those diverse thoughts are heard at home and in Washington, D.C.,” he said.
But leaders of the protest at her office Thursday say Davids needs to do more.
“Thus far, (Davids) in particular has seemed to hang back and try to maintain what some might view as a middle-ground or a moderate stance, but at this point. … where she stands right now is no longer the middle ground,” said Fatima Mohammadi, member of Al-Hadaf KC.
The protest in Davids’ office comes almost one month after a protest at U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II’s Kansas City office, when members of Al-Hadaf KC called on Cleaver to sign a Ceasefire Now Resolution backed by more than a dozen congressional representatives.
At a meeting with constituents in mid-November, a little over a week after the protest at his Kansas City office, Cleaver said he would support a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war.
The protest Dec. 7 also took place just hours after an overnight battle in the center of Rafah, the second-largest city in the Gaza strip. According to reports from the Associated Press, an Israeli ground offensive against Hamas militants has caused tens of thousands of Palestinians to flee and prevented aid groups from delivering food and other supplies.
U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris had a briefing in Dubai Dec. 2 after she had met with leaders of the United Arab Emirates, Jordan and Egypt regarding humanitarian efforts in the Israel-Hamas war.
Harris said the administration is working to secure the release of all hostages and is planning with other nation leaders for “the day after fighting stops.”
“The recent pause in the fighting proved effective,” Harris said in the briefing. “More than 100 hostages were reunited with their families during this time, including two more Americans, and humanitarian aid surged into Gaza.”
Thousands of miles from the war, tucked in Davids’ Overland Park office just before the first night of Hanukkah, Jewish and Palestinian Americans appealed to the imminent holiday season as a time of peace.
A couple signs held by protesters read, “Chanukah for Ceasefire.”
“I would urge representative Davids, in particular, to talk to Palestinians and Jews on this topic, specifically the ones that came here today,” Wolfe said. “She is choosing to be silent in this moment ... We need a ceasefire. This is not what the history of my people is about. This is not what our tradition is about.”
More than anything else, Mohammadi said she wants her representatives to know the urgency people are feeling for a ceasefire.
“What we feel is not being communicated well is the urgency at which Rep. Davids and her colleagues must implement and make a decision when it comes to this,” she said.
The Star’s Daniel Desrochers contributed to this report.
This story was originally published December 7, 2023 at 6:55 PM.
