U.S. Rep. Becca Balint, a Vermont Democrat, became the latest member of Congress — and the first Jewish one — to call for a cease-fire. She made the demand in a commentary piece published Thursday. Photo by Getty Images

By Arno Rosenfeld November 17, 2023

U.S. Rep. Becca Balint, a Vermont Democrat, called for a cease-fire in Israel and Gaza Thursday, becoming the first Jewish member of Congress to do so.

“What is needed right now is an immediate break in violence to allow for a true negotiated cease-fire,” Balint wrote in an article for VTDigger, a local news website, headlined “Cease-fire needed to stop bloodshed in Israel-Hamas conflict.”

“Like me, there are thousands of American Jews that share a deep emotional connection to Israel,” she added. “This same history also drives so many of us to fight for the protection of Palestinian lives.”

Balint previously said that she supported “Israel’s right to defend itself after the unprecedented surprise attack against them.” She had not signed on to a previous resolution calling for a cease-fire backed by other progressive members of Congress.

Balint became the 32nd lawmaker to call for an end to the fighting, which began after Hamas militants killed an estimated 1,200 people during an Oct. 7 terrorist attack in southern Israel. The Israeli military has since killed 11,000 Palestinians, according to health officials in Gaza, which is controlled by Hamas.

Balint’s grandfather was killed during the Holocaust. She has said her political career is rooted in her family’s history and a concern for vulnerable communities.

On Wednesday a group of largely Jewish protesters blocked the entrance to a Democratic Party office in Capitol Hill to demand a cease-fire. House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican, called the protest a “vile display of antisemitism.”

In her commentary for VTDigger, Balint said a negotiated cease-fire needed to lead to a “sustainable and lasting peace,” including “self-governance” for the Palestinians, a return of hostages taken by Hamas and the protection of “Israelis from continued terror from Hamas.”

“For the good of Palestinians and Israelis, a lasting bilateral cease-fire can only work if Hamas does not continue to rule in Gaza,” she added.

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