Pro-Palestine protesters gathered at Solon Public Library Saturday morning to speak out against Democratic Congressional candidate Christina Bohannan’s silence on the Israel-Hamas war. 

Bohannan, currently running to represent Iowa’s 1st Congressional District, gave a speech at a Meet the Candidates event in the library. Democrats from around Johnson County gathered to promote their platforms and encourage voters to head to the polls this November. 

Bohannan’s platform includes lowering the cost of medical care for Iowans, supporting the reinstallation of Roe v. Wade, and reforming the public education system. She also supports bipartisanship, reaching across the aisle and working across political divides to pass legislation that benefits the people of Iowa. 

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However, what she did not speak on is the ongoing Israel-Hamas war and the United States’s continued funding of the Israeli military. 

The Israel-Hamas war remains a divisive topic for the Democratic party with only 61 percent of Democrats approving of Biden’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war in a September George Washington University/HarrisX poll.  

Iowans are divided almost evenly over the views, according to a new Des Moines Register/Mediacom poll. Among all Iowans, 42 percent say they think the way Israel is carrying out its response to Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack is acceptable, and 40 percent say Israel’s response is unacceptable.

One member of the local Iowans for Palestine group, Newman Abuissa, spoke out at the end of Bohannan’s speech, urging her to call for a ceasefire in Palestine and an arms embargo on Israel. 

Boahnnan responded by saying that, as a representative of everyone in Iowa’s 1st Congressional District, she had to work hard to represent everyone who lived there. She also promised that — if elected — she would take their views and considerations with her to Washington, D.C. 

After wrapping up her speech by touching again on all of her policies, Bohannan promptly exited the event, despite being slated to stay for thirty more minutes. 

“She has not addressed the ceasefire issue,” Abuissa said. “She is not willing to talk about the conflict. There is a war going on and there are children being killed and we are supporting it with our money.” 

By protesting, Abuissa hopes to show Bohannan that there are people in her community who are willing to stand and speak up in support of a ceasefire. 

Ginny Paulson, an Iowa City resident, also came to the library in support of Palestine. 

“I’ve contributed my time and commitment to the Democratic party more than I ever have in my entire life,” Paulson said. “And I’ve found it inspiring when, at every convention, the majority of attendees voted for a resolution to have a ceasefire. So, I was disappointed that Christina paints us as the minority because I believe we’re the majority.” 

Paulson is currently undecided over whether or not she will cast her vote for Bohannan in the upcoming election. 

“I was really hoping that she would change,” Paulson said. “I could feel morally responsible for voting for her.” 

Paul Deaton, a supporter of Bohannan who helped set up the event, is in favor of a ceasefire in Gaza, yet will continue to support the Congressional hopeful despite her silence.

“I know what the alternative is,” Deaton said. “If Christina is not elected, Miller-Meeks will be, and her policies don’t jive with having a ceasefire.”

The race between Bohannan and incumbent U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, R-Iowa, continues to be close, with 49 percent of voters leaning Democratic, and 46 percent leaning Republican. In addition, 5 percent claim that they are not sure according to a poll by the Des Moines Register. 

The poll marked the first time during the 2024 election cycle that a Democrat is favored in one of Iowa’s Congressional Districts. 

Recently elections forecaster Inside Elections rated Miller-Meeks seat as a toss-up after previously rating it as leaning Republican. 

Deaton said he believes strongly in Bohannan and calls her the “right choice” for the 1st District, supporting many of the policies that she mentioned during her speech. 

However, he acknowledges that everyone has to decide how to vote on their own. 

“I know plenty of people who don’t know what they’re doing, not just for the second or first district, but for the president,” Deaton said, “It’s a free country. People are free to do what they want to do.” 

Bohannan’s campaign could not be immediately contacted for comment on Saturday.