FERNDALE — At the end of a town hall with Rep. Rick Larsen (D-WA) Saturday, Dec. 14, pro-Palestinian supporters broke out in chants as Larsen continued to meet with constituents afterward.
As “Larsen, Larsen, you can’t hide, you’re supporting genocide” rang out, some attendees questioned why Larsen and his staff did not give the microphone to attendees wearing keffiyehs, scarfs often associated with support for Palestine.
Earlier this year, Larsen voted to support the Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, providing $13 billion to replenish U.S. stocks of equipment and weapons sent to Israel’s military, support U.S. operations in the region and fund Israel’s missile defense systems. The bill also included $9.15 billion for humanitarian assistance in Gaza and worldwide.
While the bill passed the House in April, it has yet to be referred to the Senate for hearing.
Larsen said Saturday he had recently signed a letter brought by Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO) requesting the Biden administration hold Israel accountable for its actions in Gaza, while also holding Hamas accountable for the terrorist attacks in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023 that killed about 1,139 people.
He called supporting the letter, “a much more balanced approach than I’ve taken in the past.”
During Larsen’s reelection campaign this summer, a kick-off event in Bellingham was prematurely ended after pro-Palestinian supporters called out Larsen for his support of Israel. Another campaign event in Everett was canceled altogether.
As of December according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, at least 45,000 Palestinians have been killed since Israel launched its war last year in response to the Hamas attacks. Of that number, a majority have been killed in Gaza.
Larsen said Saturday that the humanitarian toll the war in Gaza has created was bigger than it was last year, and that he supported the Biden administration’s efforts to bring a ceasefire to the region.
“I can only hope that the next administration continues that effort,” he said, referencing when President-elect Donald Trump takes office next month. “I’m not here to tell you that they will. I don’t speak for the next administration, but I imagine we’ll be continuing this conversation about what’s taking place there.”
Alex Fahad, 37 from Blaine, who was in attendance, said when the chants criticizing Larsen broke out it was supposed to spark an uncomfortable feeling.
“This country’s supplying weapons that are participating in a genocide, and when you really try to wrap your head around what that means, that means that we are systematically eliminating an entire nationality of people,” he said.
Before the chants began, Larsen answered a wide range of questions about what could happen when the Trump administration comes in. Constituents spoke about their fears that the Affordable Care Act could be repealed and the decline of support for common-sense gun legislation.
Larsen said he and other Democrats will be fighting to keep health care protected, including access to abortion.
“I have a very strong pro-choice record, and that’s not going to end, not with this administration,” he said. “I’m sure at some point I’ll be threatened by this administration.”
Annie Todd is CDN’s criminal justice/enterprise reporter; reach her at annietodd@cascadiadaily.com; 360-922-3090 ext. 130.
