3 local lawmakers ‘take a walk,’ avoid taking stance on Israel support resolution

It’s known as “taking a walk.”

It’s when lawmakers leave the chamber to avoid taking a stance on an issue. Earlier this week, 12 representatives in the state house took a walk instead of voting on an Israel support resolution. Three of the representatives are from the Charlotte area, John Autry, Nasif Majeed and Diamond Staton-Williams.

The vote passed 104-0. It was a rare unanimous vote from the House.

1200 people have died in Israel since the Hamas terrorist attack on Saturday.

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The resolution called out the terrorist attack and said, in part, “the United States Congress is urged to offer full and unequivocal support of Israel financially and otherwise for as long as it takes for Israel to bring justice in light of the unprovoked attacks on innocent Israeli civilians.”

>>>> Click here to read the full resolution

House Speaker Tim Moore of Cleveland County says he is disappointed any lawmaker would choose not to vote.

“Neutrality in the face of evil is unacceptable,” Speaker Moore said. “This was an opportunity for all of us on both sides of the aisle from every part of the state, to speak collectively, for the roughly 11 million people in this state denouncing this violence in the Middle East in standing in support of Israel.”

Representative Diamond Staton-Williams of Cabarrus County says her district has families with loved ones “on both sides of this conflict.” She said she chose not to vote on the resolution because she didn’t want to endorse more violence.

“I absolutely condemn the cruelty displayed by Hamas,” Rep. Staton-Williams said in a statement. “After leaning into my faith and remaining in prayer, a decision to endorse more violence was something I was not led to do. I will continue to pray for peace as both countries work toward resolution.”

Representative Nasif Majeed of Mecklenburg County says he did not support the language in the resolution offering “unequivocal” support for Israel.

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“I didn’t write it and I would have wrote it differently because there’s carnage going on both sides,” he said. “I want peace.”

Representative John Autry did not return an email seeking comment.

Speaker Moore says the attack on Israel puts other issues and debates into perspective.

“These are the times when folks reflect and we think about the things that divide us as Americans. “When something like this happens, it reminds us that we’ve got a lot more in common than we don’t.”

Representatives who chose not to vote on the Israel support resolution:

• John Autry

• Amber Baker

• Gloristine Brown

• Kanika Brown

• Maria Cervania

• Terence Everitt

• Pricey Harrison

• Nasif Majeed

• Marcia Morey

• Renee Price

• Diamond Staton-Williams

• Julie von Haefen

VIDEO: Woman returns to Charlotte after escaping war-torn Israel