Protests oustide Sen. Mark Kelly's office planned in Phoenix for meeting with Netanyahu
WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 24: Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ) arrives for the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu address to a joint meeting of Congress in the chamber of the House of Representatives at the U.S. Capitol on July 24, 2024 in Washington, DC. N
PHOENIX - A protest was planned for July 24 outside the office of U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) against his visit with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Kelly has been at or near the top of potential Vice Presidential candidates for Kamala Harris, the presumed Democratic nominee for President.
According to a media advisory released by a coalition of diverse constituents, a group will gather outside his Phoenix office near the intersection of 24th Street and Camelback Road, just west of the Biltmore Fashion Park at 5 p.m.
The group is raising awareness of Kelly's "complicity in the genocide on Palestinians."
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They are asking Kelly to condemn Netanyahu and Israel for their response to the coordinated attack by Hamas-led militants on October 7 that left nearly 1,100 people dead and many other Israelis raped and kidnapped. Most of the victims that day were attending the Nova Festival, a trance festival held in Israel's Negev Desert.
Protesters argue that the Israeli response has led to "over 100,000 dead Palestinians."
However, the Associated Press reported numbers from the Palestinian Health Ministry that said the death toll as of June 30 was 37,900.
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What do the protesters want?
The group is asking for four demands from Sen. Kelly.
- State that he does not support war efforts by Netanyahu
- Stop support of weapons and aid to Israel
- Take action to end the war on children
- Facilitate humanitarian aid into Gaza
Sen. Kelly's chances at becoming the Vice Presidential nominee
He is considered a top contender.
Viewed as a moderate, he is a retired NASA astronaut and married to former Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords.
Mike Noble, CEO and founder of Noble Predictive Insights, thinks Kelly could be the perfect fit on the Democrats' presidential ticket.
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"Mark Kelly has fantastic numbers of all the elected officials in the entire state of Arizona. Mark Kelly has the best image of all the electorate," he said.
Kelly has already given his endowment to VP Harris to be the Democratic nominee.
He is among a list of rumored candidates that include Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker.
He is one of the few legislators to appear on various short lists with most candidates already holding positions in the executive branch.