Candidates for County Council District 4
Paula Bienenfeld
Democrat- Candidate
Gave testimony supporting (timestamp 2:06:09) the Maryland Israel Development Center to members of the Montgomery County General Assembly. As leadership in the Montgomery County Jewish Coaltion, sent a letter to Montgomery County Schools to stop student from having a walkout for Gaza.
Co-authored an oped to support County Council’s adoption of the IHRA definition of antisemitism. To learn more about the concern related to the IHRA definition, see here.
Kate Stewart
Democrat- Incumbent (website)
Voted to fund the Maryland Israel Development Center.
Attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony for Aerovironment (US manufacturer of Kamikaze Drones). Aerovironment then bought an Israeli weapons manufacturers. (see video).
Peter “Rocky” Whitesell
Democra- Candidate (website)
Has provided the following statements.
There has been overwhelming evidence for a long time that the Israeli government has engaged in the deliberate starvation of the Gazan people. That alone is a horrific crime for which there can be no justification, no debate. It is just plain wrong.
I have never wished, and never will wish harm, displacement, or hatred against the Israeli or any other people, but I believe that our county’s continued subsidy of Israeli government-aligned economic activity is a clear endorsement of the Israeli government’s horrific actions and views. To break these ties, and to make clear why we do so, is not just our duty to Gazans, it is our duty to the Israeli people also. True friends do not simply watch in silence. They speak up, act, and confront us with the truth when we do wrong.
For many other reasons, funding for the MIDC is wrong. It is wrong for a county government to subsidize the activities of specific foreign governments and businesses, or to conduct foreign policy generally. It is wrong for residents’ incomes to directly subsidize foreign owned arms manufacturers like ELTA. And it is wrong for the county council to force residents to pay for AI surveillance companies like REKOR whose technology is now used to track, hunt, and abuse the most basic civil rights of our neighbors and friends.
Regarding the HIndutva
Yes. I will reject donations or support associated with ethnonationalist political movements, including Hindutva. I am opposed to any movement or group that aims to repress others because of their religion, race, or identity. I want the people of our county and everywhere else to be able to live freely and in peace.
