To the editor:

I will be casting my vote for the Harris/Walz ticket for many reasons, not the least of which is their absurd and dangerous opponent. I will cast this vote proudly and with deep reservations about the failure of the Democratic ticket to articulate an acceptable policy position on the ongoing Middle East conflict.

This is a call for the vice president to show a sign to the electorate, and in particular to Arab-American voters, that she recognizes the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination on the land which they have inhabited for centuries. I join many others who decry the horrors of Oct. 7, 2023, and the disproportionate response resulting in the loss of more than 40,000 Palestinian lives.

The demand for a cease-fire is a first step which the Biden administration has embraced. That is not enough. Americans are complicit in the destruction of Palestinian communities. We must stop arming the Israeli government without conditions. I count myself among many Jews in the U.S. who take issue with our government’s policy and who recognize the injustices that Palestinians have lived with for over 75 years under colonial rule following their loss of a homeland in 1948. If the Harris campaign continues to side-step this issue, the loss of support among uncommitted voters may cost them the election. It’s time to craft a new relationship with Israel which holds them accountable and to adopt policies which provide a path toward self-government for Palestinians.

Rick Cagan,

Lawrence