OPINION: Third Party for Gaza
Photo via Palestinian News & Information Agency/Public domain/Wikimedia Commons
Amelia Henson, a Freshman studying Journalism, argues that the third-party voters who supported the war in Gaza unfortunately have done adverse affects to their cause.
Choosing who to vote for in a presidential election can be a hard decision. Americans have never had the privilege of voting in the interest of one issue. Many issues go into choosing who to vote for such as reproductive rights, LGBTQ+ rights, taxes, immigration etc.
One pressing issue among American voters was the genocide occurring in Gaza. American politicians don’t seem to be on the same page as some American people when it comes to the devastation in Gaza. Throughout the Israel-Gaza conflict, the Biden Administration continued to send aid and weapons to Israel despite the numerous war crimes committed by Israel. The Israeli government has killed around 45,000 Gazans and injured over 100,000 since October of 2023. The count doesn’t distinguish how many were in combat and how many were civilians, but it has been noted that nearly half the count were women and children. As of October 2024, over 11,000 children have been killed and 30% of them were under the age of five. Nearly 2% of the Gazan population is now dead.
The Biden Administration continued to aid Israel with tax-payer money, nearly $18 billion worth of military funding was sent to Israel in 2024 alone. Due to the decision to continue to aid Israel, Biden lost the support of many American voters. After Biden decided to drop out of the race and Vice President Kamala Harris took his spot, some people grew hopeful that under her presidency she would stop aiding Israel. Harris had made comments supporting a ceasefire and a two-state solution. Harris said, “President Biden and I are working to end this war such that Israel is secure, the hostages are released, the suffering in Gaza ends and the Gazan people can realize their right to dignity, security, freedom and self-determination.” Harris’ empathy for Gazans gave voters hope that she would make it a point to end the ongoing suffering of the people of Gaza.
On the other hand, other voters still protested Harris’ campaign because she was Biden’s Vice President. The Harris campaign never took a strong stance on her plan for Israel and Gaza, which could have contributed to her loss in the election. One poll conducted by the Institute of Middle East Understanding and YouGov found that 29% of people who voted for Biden in 2020 and didn’t vote for Harris in 2024 credited “ending Israel's violence in Gaza” as their reason. This does not mean all these people voted for Trump, many people voted third party or simply didn’t vote at all. The voter turnout for young people in the 2024 election was lower than in 2020. Only 42% of young voters (ages 18-29) voted in 2024, whereas over 50% did in 2020. Since many young people support Gaza, it is possible that the conflict could have played a role in the decline of voter turnout.
The people who chose not to vote for Harris due to their position on Gaza have likely done more harm than good for the Gazans. Donald Trump’s victory in the 2024 election could be catastrophic for the people of Gaza. Donald Trump is known to be pro-Israel and in support of “peace,” for both sides, how he will go about restoring peace is a question he never answered.
Within the first week of Trump being in office, he has already made anti-Gaza proposals and remarks. Trump said Gaza looked like a “demolition site,” and proposed the removal of large amounts of Gazans from Gaza to “just clean out that whole thing.” Trump said he wants to move the people to Egypt and Jordan saying that the move could be temporary or permanent. Both nations denied Trump’s suggestion.
Trump’s proposal for the removal of hundreds of thousands of people from their land is disturbing and inhumane. Forcing displacement upon so many people during a ceasefire is considered a war crime. Trump has also appointed Mike Huckabee to be the ambassador to Israel. Huckabee is notoriously anti-Gaza, he doesn’t believe in a two-state solution, and he has said there “is no such thing as a Palestinian.” Huckabee supports Israeli expansion and refuses to acknowledge that Palestinian territory, including the West Bank, is occupied.
The American government has never been an ally to the people in Gaza. It doesn't matter who is in office, America will stand by Israel, so they are one of our closest allies. The 2024 election was going to happen, someone was going to be elected into office. Neither Harris nor Trump are ethical for Gaza. The American government as a whole is not ethical for Gaza.
The people fighting for freedom for Gaza are suffering from immense guilt. The digitization of our world has created a platform for the people of Gaza to post about their suffering. Graphic images and videos of the dead bodies of children flood the internet. The people in America who stand with Gaza have seen the misery being experienced first hand.
Choosing not to vote or to vote third party in solidarity of Gaza is a choice rooted in self-preservation. Both Harris and Trump have blood on their hands. Some people may feel the only way to keep their hands clean is to not vote, but voting is the key to a democratic society. The decision between candidates can be difficult, but it is a decision that needs to be made. Neither Harris nor Trump are good for Gaza, but one of them was going to win. The problem is not one that could’ve been avoided, not voting did not change the fact that a president was elected.
Trump won the 2024 election not only because people voted for him, but also because people chose not to vote or to vote third party. The decision to throw out a vote has devastating consequences. Now the people of America will have to endure another four years under the Trump administration.
Please note that these views and opinions do not reflect those of The New Political.