Rep. Andre Carson is 1 of just 9 to vote against a bipartisan bill supporting Israel

Rep. Andre Carson of Indianapolis was one of only nine U.S. representatives, all Democrats, to vote against a resolution this week that declares Israel is not a racist or apartheid state and affirms that the United States will always be a staunch partner and supporter of Israel. The resolution passed with overwhelming bipartisan support from 412 members.

The Republican-led resolution was proposed after some progressive Democrats said they would boycott Israeli President Isaac Herzog's joint address to Congress on July 19, and Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., said Saturday that "Israel is a racist state."

Carson, who represents the 7th Congressional District, has long been an outlier even among Democrats on Israel-Palestine relations. Congress has a longstanding tradition of bipartisan support for Israel, which has received more than $125 billion in American military assistance since its founding in 1948.

"The United Nations, Amnesty International, and every major human rights organization around the world – as well as Jewish activist organizations like Jewish Voice for Peace – have all called for an end to the systematic oppression of Palestinians," Carson's spokesperson, Caroline Ellert, wrote in a statement to IndyStar.

"The Congressman could not in good conscience vote for a resolution that refused to acknowledge the valid, verified, and persistent human rights abuses against the Palestinian people. The Congressman distinguishes between the actions of the Israeli government and the Jewish people."

Carson has been a vocal critic of the displacement of Palestinian people by Israeli occupation. He was one of only nine House representatives who voted against the U.S. providing $1 billion to Israel to restock its Iron Dome missile and defense system in 2021.

Ellert added that he has voted many times for a two-state solution, which envisions an independent state of Palestine alongside the state of Israel.

The Indianapolis Jewish Community Relations Council issued a rebuke Wednesday night.

"The Indianapolis Jewish Community Relations Council is dismayed by Representative Carson’s votes and actions in Congress and his continued hostility toward the State of Israel," the statement read. It added that a mission of Indianapolis JCRC is supporting the worldwide Jewish community, the state of Israel and fighting antisemitism.

"We have made our positions repeatedly clear to him, in our advocacy and in conversations throughout his time in Congress, yet we feel dismissed. These kinds of votes and actions serve only to antagonize our community."

Ellert added in the statement that Carson has long spoken out against all forms of oppression, including antisemitism.

Contact the reporter at 317-903-7071 or kcheang@indystar.com.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Israel-Palestine conflict: Andre Carson votes against bipartisan bill