Newly elected US Senator James Talarico of Texas has sharply criticized Israel’s military campaign in Gaza and Washington’s role in the killing of civilians, saying what is unfolding makes him sick as a teacher, a Christian, and a human being.
Speaking recently on actor and comedian Ilana Glazer’s podcast It’s Open with Ilana Glazer, Talarico said America’s involvement makes him feel complicit and argued every American citizen should share that concern. Asked about the pro-Israel lobby group AIPAC, he said he had never taken money from the organization, including during his Senate campaign.
“Through the suffering of starving children in Gaza, God is holding the entire world before a test of conscience,” Talarico said, pledging that as a senator he would use the full weight of US diplomatic and financial leverage to halt atrocities and stop shipments of offensive weapons to Israel. He said American leaders carry a moral duty and the capability to bring death and destruction to an end.
In a separate town hall co-hosted by CNN and Jubilee, Talarico also criticized Israeli caretaker Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s policies. Responding to a rabbi’s question, he said his criticism targets Netanyahu’s government rather than the Israeli people, affirming Israel’s right to self-defense while rejecting war against civilians, collective punishment, and blockades of humanitarian aid.
Talarico acknowledged the Israeli and other lives lost in the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack and voiced support for a two-state solution guaranteeing Israel’s security alongside Palestinian freedom and self-determination.
A 37-year-old Democrat, Talarico taught middle school and led an education nonprofit before winning election to the Texas state legislature in 2018, serving four consecutive terms. He studied theology at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary and became known for speaking on Christian values, human rights, social justice, and public education while opposing religious nationalism.
In the November 3 US midterm elections, Talarico defeated Republican candidate Ken Paxton to become the first Democrat elected to the US Senate from Texas since 1988, according to CNN, The Texas Tribune, and The Guardian. He will take office in January.
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