Kent, WA – On October 24, organizers with Seattle Against War (SAW) assembled in front of Congressman Adam Smith’s (WA-09) office to launch their “Adam Smith: Stop Arming Israel!” campaign and deliver a petition with over 530 signatures to Smith himself.
“Adam Smith, you can’t hide; we charge you with genocide” and “Adam Smith look in the mirror, you’re a war profiteer” were just a few chants that Smith’s staffers and passersby heard between speeches from SAW members and community members as they entered and exited the building.
SAW member Makayla Heaps-Smith, speaking in the pouring rain, denounced Smith’s inaction, saying, “Adam Smith has shown to be nothing more than a meek coward who hides behind different walls so he cannot be held accountable for his crimes and complicity, and we say that ends now.”
Another member of SAW, Colleen Bell, added in her speech that “Palestinians aren’t just numbers. They’re human beings with hopes, dreams and a deep connection to their ancestral lands. They have as much right to a life of freedom and peace as the rest of us. Yet, our government continues to dehumanize them and call them terrorists when they resist their oppressors.”
SAW’s petition demands that Smith use his position in Congress and as ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee to push for a real arms embargo against Israel. In particular, Smith is called upon to take three specific actions: first, to publicly support and co-sponsor all existing legislation which halts or restricts the flow of arms to Israel, such as HR 3565; second, to propose new legislation that halts or restricts the flow of arms to Israel in the case that there is no outstanding legislation to that effect currently on the table; and third, to publicly call for an end to all military aid to Israel.
Members of SAW went inside to present Representative Smith with the petition, but he and his staff had already fled the building. The sign on their window that once read, “We are open to serve constituents of the 9th District,” had been hastily torn down.
SAW’s overall campaign is aimed at pressuring Adam Smith to listen to his constituents and take action to put a stop to U.S. funding of Israel’s genocide in Gaza. Smith has issued multiple press releases throughout his career stating concern for the humanitarian crisis in Gaza but has issued even more urging Washington state to favor Boeing — the tenth largest contributor to Smith’s 2024 campaign — with tax credits to keep them operating in his district. There is a Boeing manufacturing site just across the street from Smith’s office, facilities where the very weapons that kill children in Gaza are built. They are designed in schools including the University of Washington with technology donated by Boeing.
On September 6, 2024, UW alum Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi was shot and killed by the IDF in the West Bank while protecting Palestinian farmers and their olive harvest. Surveillance systems that track Palestinians’ every move are created at companies like Palantir, Smith’s third highest campaign contributor.
Smith has a voice in the legislature and proximity to the highest-ranking U.S. government officials, providing him ample opportunity to present legislation like that called for in SAW’s petition, which is co-signed by Veterans for Peace and Seattle Democratic Socialists of America.
With the launch of its “Arms Embargo Now” campaign, Seattle Against War has shown that they will not rest until the United States war machine is smashed for good. SAW members have made it clear that Adam Smith must either face the music and defy his donors, or he will continue to face a relentless people’s campaign.
