On October 7th, 2023, Israel was hit by the worst terrorist attack on the Jewish people since the Holocaust and the world was changed.
In the hours following Hamas’ atrocity, I prepared a straightforward statement:
“Let me be clear: America will always stand with Israel. These terrorists will not win.”
Coming up with this statement took a matter of minutes, if that. And to me, it was the only appropriate response. Israel is our #1 ally in the Middle East, Hamas is a globally recognized terror group, and genocidal anti-Semitism has no place in the world.
There’s only one way to go on responding to a terrorist attack and an ally defending itself, right? Wrong, apparently.
The last few months have shown that an alarming number of politicians, masquerading as “moderates,” are actually extremists who either don’t support Israel, or they’re self-interested politicians afraid of saying they support our friend and ally.
Both are horrible, and here are some examples of what I mean.
On the first day of the 2024 session, the Kansas House and Senate voted on a resolution condemning the October 7th attacks, condemning Hamas, supporting Israel’s right to defend itself, and rejecting anti-Semitism.
The resolution passed, but numerous politicians in the House and Senate voted “no.” Seven of the House’s “no” votes came from the 3rd Congressional District, the district I’m running for this year.
That’s shocking to me. Unequivocally supporting Israel over terrorists is a matter of common sense — and condemning calls for genocide against a country and people is a matter of basic decency.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t stop there. I’m running against Sharice Davids, a Democrat politician who pretends she’s middle of the road but, on every issue that matters, sides with her party’s most extreme elements.
Standing with Israel is no different. Over the past three months, Rep. Davids has had every chance to do the right thing. She’s failed every single time, and here are a few examples.
First, the U.S. House’s vote to stand with Israel, condemn Hamas’ October 7th attacks, and reject anti-Semitism — not at all dissimilar from the recent vote here in Kansas.
A bipartisan majority said “yes” to standing with Israel. But not Rep. Davids. She simply voted “present.” To me, that’s as emblematic of a self-interested politician as it gets. She may as well have voted no.
Second, the U.S. House’s vote to censure Rep. Rashida Tlaib.
Let’s call it like it is: Rep. Tlaib doesn’t think Israel should exist, and she’s used one anti-Semitic trope after another to make her point. The House was right to call a vote to censure her, and Republicans and Democrats alike voted to do so. But not Rep. Davids; she voted against the resolution.
Finally, Rep. Davids welcomed a bunch of pro-Palestinian protesters to her taxpayer-funded office. Local 3rd District media showed up to cover what they had to say — only to be kicked out by Rep. Davids and her team. That’s just plain wrong. This was at her taxpayer-funded office, not a private campaign headquarters.
Let’s remember, words, actions, and inactions have consequences. Because supposedly middle of the road politicians like Rep. Davids are refusing to unequivocally support Israel, extremists surely feel even more emboldened.
Case in point: A Jewish fraternity at the University of Kansas has been the target of harassment, and a pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel protest was held in Overland Park. Rep. Davids hasn’t said a word about either.
So, let me close with this: I am fed up with politicians putting their self-interest, and their own party’s extremism, before what’s right.
This is the first time I’ve ever run for office, and one of the reasons I’m doing so is because, frankly, I’m over it. I’m a legal immigrant, military officer, and cancer physician. To save the American Dream, the one that I’ve lived, we must stop rewarding extremism and political cowardice alike.
This is no time for moral bankruptcy. We need clear-eyed leaders who call out political nonsense, support our allies 100%, and put what’s good for their district and country before their political self-interest.
The folks I’ve met in my district, good people from all walks of life, agree. And they’ll make their voices heard in November.
Dr. Prasanth Reddy is a cancer physician, military officer, and legal immigrant running for Congress in Kansas’ 3rd District as a Republican.