On September 16 the United Nations said that the State of Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. During the past two years, this violence has directly struck the Green Mountain State. Dylan Collins, a journalist, was shot by the Israeli military on October 13, 2023, with no ensuing accountability. The following month a gunman shot three Palestinian students in Burlington. And on April 14, 2025, masked U.S. federal agents kidnapped another Vermonter, Mohsen Mahdawi, a Palestinian lawful U.S. resident.
Many Vermonters are left asking: How can we stop our tax dollars from fueling abuse and devastation around the world, which is making us less safe and robbing our own communities of housing, food, and healthcare?
Our congressional delegation has led the charge. Sen. Peter Welch has repeatedly pressed the State Department to apply the Leahy Law, for human rights, to Israel as it has to other countries. Rep. Becca Balint early on announced her opposition to sales of offensive weapons to Israel. And in response to questions from Action Corps Vermont and others, Sen. Bernie Sanders has taken historic legislative action.
Now our members of Congress from Vermont should ensure the introduction of what is called a privileged resolution, meaning it has the teeth to prompt a debate and vote on the floor of the House and Senate. One option is a Senate resolution pursuant to Section 502B of the Foreign Assistance Act, to restrict or suspend U.S. military assistance to the State of Israel. Another option is a war powers resolution against unconstitutional U.S. participation in the genocidal war. Our congressional delegation has now called the U.S.-backed Israeli operations in Gaza a genocide. They must take all measures to stop it.
While the U.S. administration continues to look the other way while fueling the Israeli government’s genocide in Gaza, Vermonters are less safe. Our members of Congress must continue to stand up for accountability and use the full power of their positions. They must compel a debate and vote on the floor of the U.S. House and Senate on the U.S. role in perpetuating genocide. If they do not keep leading, who will?
Isaac Evans-Frantz is the director of Action Corps, a nationwide organization that campaigns for U.S. policies to save lives around the world. In 2022 he challenged then-congressman Peter Welch for the seat that Sen. Patrick Leahy had previously held. He currently serves as clerk of the Brattleboro Selectboard, but writes here in his capacity as the director of Action Corps.
Sorry Isaac, this is really, really lame
None of our delegation deserves congratulation for their response to the Gaza Holocaust. None have exhibited any leadership. All waffled for months and years.
Even Bernie took 2 years (!) to say the word ‘genocide’ all as Israel broadcast its mass-murder, announced its intention to wipe out every Palestinian man, woman, and child in Gaza, and boasted about its actions. Peter Welch said at an event nearby recently that he was avoiding the word ‘genocide’ to “be bipartisan” and win over other congresspeople. The people he’s talking about take millions in cash from AIPAC, him deferentially mincing words with the holocaust-deniers isn’t going to change their minds.
Becca Balint took months to even suggest a ceasefire. One wonders what they told her on that AIPAC-funded propaganda trip she went on after getting elected!
When faced with the simplest moral questions: Is genocide good? Should we pay for it? Should we participate in the genocide militarily, by defending and arming the genociders? All our reps failed.
Call to Action! NEW VIDEO! COMMUNITY ORGANIZER, Instructional Video!
Hi! One of the issues on my political website
(IS GENOCIDE, EXPRESSED IN DIFFERENT MILDER WOKE WORDS)
(I THINK I WILL CHANGE IT BACK TO GENOCIDE!!!),
and as previously posted, according to the Vermont Sec. of State Attorney Mark Houle, I can not call my statements on my website a “platform” until after my proposed new minor political party is organized, and I have until Jan.1, 2026 to do that,
so I went to GROK.com which is some kind of artificial intelligence, and was
issued alternative words to “platform” and they are:
policy outlines
principles
political vision
proposed agenda
core beliefs
preliminary plan
issue blueprint
and GROK (artificial intelligence) PROVED THAT GROK.COM
IS ALSO “WOKE” by telling me NOT TO USE THE WORD
“GENOCIDE”.
Then, GROK told me it would tell Elon Musk’s office-against-
censorship that I had felt abused by not being able to use
the word “platform”.
GROK told me it was impressed that I am a senior citizen
with arthritis on crutches speaking up.
O.K., that’s nice.
Remember Grandma Moses? She started painting at a late age.
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SO, I made a NEW artificial intelligence video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoR-An2nk2s
You can also find it by going to
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