by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman
December 14, 2023
During a holiday party at her residence, Vice President Kamala Harris was interrupted by Delaware Representative Madinah Wilson-Anton, as the Democratic official called for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Vice President Kamala Harris was recently confronted by a member of Congress as tensions regarding the Israeli-Hamas conflict deepen. While making a speech at the holiday party she hosted at her home, Delaware Representative Madinah Wilson-Anton, a fellow Democrat, began to interrupt the elected official by calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.
According to The Daily Mail, the incident occurred during the evening of Dec. 11. Harris was speaking to guests at her official residence, the U.S. Naval Observatory in Washington, D.C., when Rep. Wilson-Anton disrupted by asking why the Biden administration has yet to call for a ceasefire in Gaza. In her bold questioning, she mentioned the current state of Bethlehem, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. The Democratic lawmaker shared footage of the ordeal to X, captioning the post “Christmas is cancelled in Bethlehem.”
“Madam Vice President, I am a rep from Delaware,” began the elected official. “Did you know in Bethlehem they are not celebrating Christmas? Did you know in Bethlehem, baby Jesus is under rubble? Why won’t you call for a cease-fire?”
The Congresswoman also rolled out a banner that said “ceasefire”‘as she made her statement. The Vice President responded by stating that she currently holds the floor.
“I appreciate you wanting to be heard, but right now I’m speaking,” declared Harris.
Rep. Wilson-Anton, who became the first Muslim woman to be elected to Congress on behalf of Delaware in 2021, was subsequently removed from the affair. However, the government official is a prominent voice alongside other progressive lawmakers, such as Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), that are urging the United States to call for an immediate ceasefire.
In diplomatic relations on the Israel-Hamas conflict, the United States has been a significant nation voting against legally-binding ceasefires, including vetoing a resolution by the U.N. Security council on Dec. 8, as reported by The Associated Press. Most recently, they voted against a U.N. resolution to a humanitarian ceasefire on Dec. 12, despite a rising shift across the nation to support Palestine.
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