Seventeen Democrats in the Arizona legislature signed a letter to President Joe Biden urging him to call for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Tempe Rep. Athena Salman, one of the few Palestinian Americans who serves in any state legislature, signed the letter.
She said she is heartbroken by the attacks carried out by Hamas on Oct. 7 and called for the return of hostages.
But Salman also decried the ongoing bombing by Israel in Gaza, saying it is punishing civilians and innocent children.
“When I look at those children's faces, just as when I look at the Israeli children's faces, I think, ‘Oh my God … how can this be a child’s lived reality?’” Salman said.
The call for a ceasefire has split the Democratic caucuses in the Arizona Senate and House of Representatives. While 17 Democratic legislators signed the letter, 26 did not.
'Senseless violence perpetrated by Hamas'
Tucson Rep. Alma Hernandez, who is Jewish, said in a statement she supports a humanitarian pause to help aid civilians in Gaza. But she argued a cease-fire is not realistic and would be a win for Hamas.
“Yet, we must remember that this war was launched and is being continued by the senseless violence perpetrated by Hamas,” Hernandez said in the statement. “They broke the cease-fire the day they committed this atrocity on Oct. 7th.”
The split in Arizona mirrors a split nationwide. Politico reported that some Democrats are worried that the Biden administration’s stance on the conflict could hurt the president’s reelection chances as several Muslim and Arab leaders have warned Biden aides that his position could hurt his standing with their communities and progressive groups.
Salman expressed a similar sentiment.
“And not just regarding the presidential election,” she said. “… People should know whether their elected representatives, Democrat or Republican, stand with humanity, stand with human rights. So, I think that this will be an important issue.”
