Two Years of Genocide: Pat Ryan's Complete Record of Enabling Israeli Violence While Blocking Every Path to Palestinian Relief

HUDSON VALLEY, N.Y. — Following decades of Israeli occupation and 17 years of Gaza blockade, Israel launched its most devastating assault on Gaza yet after Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack during which 1,200 Israelis died-including from Israeli military fire, and 240+ were taken hostage. Over the 24 months since, Rep. Pat Ryan (D-NY-18) has maintained an unbroken record of enabling this campaign — what every major human rights organization has concluded is genocide — while systematically blocking every legislative attempt to provide Palestinian relief, protect civilian lives, or enforce accountability for war crimes.

The timeline reveals a congressman who evolved his rhetoric from characterizing all pro-Palestinian protests as "blatant antisemitism" to eventually calling for "temporary ceasefire" — while his voting record remained unchanged: voting for $26+ billion in weapons packages, censuring the only Palestinian-American congresswoman, sanctioning war crimes prosecutors, and refusing to co-sponsor any of 15+ bills that would have restricted arms, recognized Palestinian statehood, or provided unconditional humanitarian relief.

October 2023: The Pattern Begins

October 8: "Blatant Antisemitism"

Within 24 hours of the October 7 attacks, Ryan posted to social media: "Let's be clear what happened yesterday: Hamas terrorists massacred hundreds of Israeli civilians, including women and children. They took dozens more hostage, including Holocaust survivors and American citizens... To know all this, and choose to hold a protest in New York City, home to the largest Jewish population in the United States, is blatant antisemitism."

This statement—characterizing all pro-Palestinian demonstrations as inherently antisemitic regardless of their demands—set the tone for Ryan's entire two-year record.

October 25: First Pro-Israel Vote

Just four days after the attacks, Ryan voted YES on H.Res.771 ("Standing with Israel") and became an original co-sponsor of the resolution, placing his name directly on legislation that gave unconditional support for Israel's military response with no mention of Palestinian civilian protections. The resolution passed 412-10 in Roll Call 528, with Ryan joining 425 total co-sponsors in what became the second-most co-sponsored resolution in congressional history.

Squad members voted NO or Present, establishing the first clear divergence between Ryan and progressives that would hold constant for 24 months.

October 25: First Constituent Protests

The same day as his vote, 150+ constituents demonstrated outside Ryan's Poughkeepsie office demanding he co-sponsor Rep. Cori Bush's H.Res.786 ceasefire resolution. Ryan did not meet with protesters and maintained Israel's right to defend itself. He would never co-sponsor the ceasefire resolution despite 18 progressive colleagues signing on.

November 2023: Censure and Confrontation

November 7: Censure of Rashida Tlaib

Ryan voted YES on H.Res.845 to censure Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), becoming one of only 22 Democrats to break ranks and vote with Republicans in a 234-188 decision (Roll Call 622). The resolution accused Tlaib of "promoting false narratives regarding the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel and for calling for the destruction of the state of Israel," specifically citing her use of the phrase "from the river to the sea."

Democratic leadership urged members to oppose the censure on First Amendment grounds, but Ryan sided with Republicans alongside moderates like Josh Gottheimer, Ritchie Torres, Jared Moskowitz, and Brad Schneider.

Ryan later stated Tlaib's "words and actions have, unfortunately, inflamed" antisemitism and Islamophobia in a statement posted to his official website.

November 9: Largest Protest and First Acknowledgment

Hundreds demonstrated outside Ryan's Kingston office in what became the largest protest of his tenure. The same day, Ryan gave his first extensive interview to the Albany Times Union, representing his first acknowledgment of Palestinian suffering:

He noted 10,000 Palestinians killed including 4,100 children. However, he continued opposing immediate ceasefire, instead calling for a "mutual ceasefire" where "both sides commit to a cease-fire." He placed responsibility squarely on Hamas: "Hamas is responsible for the attack. Hamas is also essentially the de facto governing power over Gaza."

November 28: Israel's Right to Exist

Ryan voted YES on H.Res.888 in a near-unanimous 412-1 vote (Roll Call 677), affirming Israel's right to exist. The resolution stated that denying Israel's right to exist constitutes antisemitism.

Notably, Ryan would later decline to co-sponsor parallel resolutions affirming Palestinian statehood (H.Res.902 in 118th Congress, H.Res.769 in 119th Congress), revealing an asymmetry: he legislatively supports Israel's right to exist but refuses to support Palestinian statehood despite claiming to support a two-state solution.

December 2023: Office Graffiti and "Peace Plan"

Protest Messages on Office

In December 2023, messages reading "CEASEFIRE NOW" and "WAR CRIMINAL" were spray-painted on Ryan's Newburgh district office windows and walls. While Ryan's office characterized this as vandalism, the messages represented direct demands from constituents regarding his refusal to support ceasefire measures.

December 1: House Floor Speech

Ryan delivered an emotional House floor speech honoring constituents affected by October 7, including Judih Weinstein Haggai and Gadi Haggai of Goshen (held hostage, Gadi believed murdered), and Kingston native Maurice Shnaider's family members killed and kidnapped:

December 23: Seven-Point Plan (No "Ceasefire")

After the vandalism, Ryan released his most detailed position statement titled "My Call for Lasting Peace," outlining seven conditions for "permanent and mutual peace":

1. Safe return of all hostages
2. All perpetrators of rape and sexual violence brought to justice
3. Demilitarization of Hamas and free elections in Gaza
4. Recognition by both Israeli and Palestinian leadership of each other's right to statehood
5. End to settler violence in the West Bank with accountability
6. Significant increase in humanitarian aid to Gaza
7. New Palestinian government in Gaza

He wrote: "Once unleashed, war brings out the worst of humanity – making the pursuit of peace both necessary and incredibly difficult to achieve."

Notably absent: any use of the word "ceasefire" despite his office being spray-painted with that exact demand.

January 2024: Confrontations Escalate

January 2: Gardiner Town Hall

Constituents interrupted a swearing-in ceremony Ryan was officiating in Gardiner. One asked: "Congressman, I'm your constituent. My family and friends are being killed in Gaza. How many Palestinians have to die before you support a ceasefire?"

Protesters chanted "How many Palestinians have to die?" and "Not another nickel, not another dime, no more money for Israel's crimes."

Ryan provided no substantive answer, according to local news coverage.

January 5: Kingston Office Confrontation

In the most dramatic incident, protesters attempted to enter Ryan's Kingston office, with some climbing onto the building's roof and hanging banners reading "Pat Ryan, Stop the Genocide."

Ryan issued a statement: "Today a crowd attempted to forcibly enter our district office in Kingston, climbing the roof, interrupting work with constituents, and directly threatening my staff. Three members of our constituent services team were at the office. Two of them had to literally throw their bodies in front of a door to keep the crowd from forcing it open."

Protesters disputed Ryan's characterization, saying they never threatened anyone and Ryan was "grossly mischaracterizing events," according to local reporting.

January 24: Ulster Chamber Breakfast

Protesters demonstrated outside a sold-out Kingston chamber breakfast where Ryan spoke primarily about housing, healthcare, reproductive rights, and gun violence. While Israel-Palestine wasn't the event's focus, protesters maintained visible presence throughout.

February 2024: First "Ceasefire" Mention

February 6: Votes NO on Republican Poison Pill

Ryan voted NO on H.R.7217, a standalone $17.6 billion Israel aid package with offsetting IRS cuts (Roll Call 38). The bill failed to reach the two-thirds threshold needed, passing 250-180.

Ryan opposed this Republican bill not because he opposed Israel aid but because it excluded Ukraine funding and humanitarian assistance, represented a partisan poison pill with IRS cuts, and lacked the comprehensive approach he advocated.

Republican opponent Alison Esposito would later attack Ryan for this NO vote, claiming he didn't support Israel—an attack Ryan countered by citing his YES votes on comprehensive packages.

February 23: Finally Uses the Word

Four months into the assault and facing a threatened Israeli ground invasion of Rafah where over one million displaced Palestinians sheltered, Ryan finally issued a statement calling for ceasefire—but carefully qualified:

"The Rafah invasion cannot proceed. I'm calling for a mutual, temporary ceasefire to both secure the return of hostages and to send a massive surge of humanitarian aid to Gaza," Ryan stated in a press release.

He told the Daily Freeman: "The Rafah invasion that's been threatened by the Netanyahu government cannot proceed."

This represented his first explicit use of "ceasefire," but the qualifying terms—mutual, temporary, and conditional on hostage return—distinguished his position from the immediate, permanent, unconditional ceasefire demanded by progressives and embodied in Rep. Bush's resolution he refused to co-sponsor.

April 2024: $26.38 Billion in Weapons

April 20: Israel Security Supplemental

Ryan voted YES on H.R.8034, providing $26.38 billion in military aid to Israel (Roll Call 152). The bill passed 366-58, with Ryan joining 173 Democrats and 193 Republicans in support.

The package included:

• $4.4 billion for Iron Dome replenishment
• $4 billion for David's Sling and Iron Beam defense systems
• $3.3 billion for U.S. military operations in the region
• $9.2 billion in humanitarian assistance primarily for Palestinian civilians in Gaza

Ryan issued a press release emphasizing he had "pushed relentlessly for months" for the humanitarian component, calling it essential for "supporting democratic allies" while "providing humanitarian aid to those in need, including in Gaza."

Only 37 Democrats voted NO—primarily Squad members and progressive caucus members who opposed any military aid to Israel during the assault. Ryan's YES vote placed him firmly in the Democratic mainstream while breaking completely from the progressive minority.

This became Public Law 118-50 on April 24, 2024.

April 28: Post-Aid Vote Protest

After Ryan voted for H.R.8034, over 100 protesters from Jewish Voice for Peace and Hudson Valley for a Free Palestine Coalition demonstrated outside his Kingston office, arguing the humanitarian aid component didn't justify continued military support.

October 2024: Election and AOC Disruption

October: SUNY New Paltz Rally Disrupted

When AOC appeared with Ryan at SUNY New Paltz to campaign for his re-election, students immediately challenged her claim that Ryan "doesn't take money from corporate lobbyists" by shouting "He took $174,000 from AIPAC!"

Protesters from "NY-18 No Votes for Genocide" organized demonstrations outside the venue, creating an awkward moment for both representatives.

November 5: Electoral Vindication

Ryan defeated Republican Alison Esposito, winning re-election despite 18 months of progressive protests, the "No Votes for Genocide" pledge campaign claiming 1,250 voters, office vandalizations, and sustained criticism from activist coalitions.

His victory validated his strategic calculation: in a competitive swing district (Cook PVI: D+1), AIPAC support and moderate positioning outweighed progressive defections.

January 2025: Protecting Netanyahu from War Crimes Prosecution

January 9: ICC Sanctions Vote

Ryan voted YES on H.R.23, the "Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act," to sanction International Criminal Court officials investigating Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes in Gaza (Roll Call 7).

The bill passed 243-140-1, with Ryan becoming one of 45 Democrats voting YES.

The ICC had found "reasonable grounds to believe" that Netanyahu and Gallant bore criminal responsibility for the systematic starvation and deliberate targeting of civilians in Gaza. Ryan's vote blocked accountability for these documented actions.

January 2025: Refuses 8 Joint Resolutions

Throughout January and February 2025, progressive Democrats introduced eight Joint Resolutions (H.J.Res.68, 69, 70, 71, 83, 84, 85, 86) that would have blocked $12 billion in weapons provided to Israel by the Trump administration.

Ryan declined to co-sponsor ANY of these eight resolutions, which represented Congress's authority to disapprove arms sales under the Arms Export Control Act.

April 2025: Celebrating Genocide's Milestone

April 30: The AIPAC Birthday Video

On day 570+ of Israel's assault on Gaza, with over 40,000 documented Palestinian deaths from U.S.-funded weapons, Ryan recorded a video message for AIPAC celebrating Israel's 77th birthday:

While Palestinians mourned over a year of mass killing, displacement, and starvation, Ryan created cheerful promotional content celebrating the state committing these atrocities.

By April 2025, Ryan had received $279,274 from AIPAC over three election cycles according to OpenSecrets. The birthday video represented what that money buys: public celebration of a state committing genocide.

2025: The Refusals Continue

HR 3565 Block the Bombs Act

Despite 50+ Democratic colleagues co-sponsoring HR 3565 (introduced by Reps. Ramirez, Jacobs, Jayapal, and Pocan), Ryan has refused to sign on.

The bill would block transfer of:

• BLU-109 bunker busting bombs
• MK80 series bombs
• JDAMs
• 120mm tank ammunition
• 155mm artillery ammunition including white phosphorus

These are the exact weapons documented in attacks on Gaza's civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, refugee camps, and residential areas.

Other 2025 Refusals

Ryan has also declined to co-sponsor:

• H.Res.473: Demanding humanitarian aid delivery to Gaza during Israel's starvation blockade
• H.R.2411: Restoring UNRWA funding for 5.9 million Palestinian refugees
• H.Res.409: Recognizing the Nakba (1948 displacement of 750,000+ Palestinians)
• H.Res.769: Affirming Palestinian statehood

September 2025: Palestinian Statehood Letter

When Rep. Ro Khanna circulated a letter calling for U.S. recognition of Palestinian statehood, 47 House Democrats signed.

Ryan refused.

The Human Cost Ryan Enables

While Ryan evolved his rhetoric and eventually called for "temporary ceasefire," the weapons he voted to send created documented catastrophe:

Current Pressure: "Needs to Hear from More"

When confronted by Doctors Against Genocide about co-sponsoring HR 3565, Ryan reportedly responded: "I'm getting there. I need to hear from more constituents."

After 24 months, $26+ billion in weapons votes, 70,000+ Palestinian deaths, and $279,274 from AIPAC, Ryan's statement suggests his position could shift with sufficient constituent pressure.

The Complete Pattern

Over 24 months, Ryan has voted for $26.38 billion in weapons to Israel, voted to protect Netanyahu from war crimes prosecution, censured the only Palestinian-American congresswoman, and celebrated Israel's birthday during ongoing mass killing.

He has never co-sponsored legislation to restrict weapons transfers, never co-sponsored unconditional humanitarian aid measures, never co-sponsored Palestinian statehood recognition, never supported UNRWA funding restoration, and never recognized the Nakba or Palestinian refugee rights.

While 50+ Democratic colleagues co-sponsored HR 3565 to block bunker bombs and white phosphorus, while 47 Democrats signed the Palestinian statehood letter, while progressives introduced 8 separate resolutions to block $12 billion in weapons—Ryan took zero actions to stop the weapons, provide relief, or enforce accountability.