Rep. Pat Ryan stood before thousands at the No Kings Rally in Kingston and led the crowd in declaring "Liberty and Justice for ALL." But constituents challenged his record on Palestine.
As Ryan called out "Liberty and Justice for..." and waited for the crowd to respond "ALL," constituents shouted back: "But not for Palestinians!" and "You support genocide!" and "Stop arming Israel!"
Ryan did not address their concerns. Instead, he continued speaking about soldiers who gave their lives for freedom of speech while his constituents exercised that right to challenge his voting record.
The Hypocrisy Exposed
Just weeks before the rally, on September 26, 2025, Ryan led 25 House Democrats in rejecting Trump's unconstitutional deployment of U.S. troops against U.S. citizens, warning that Trump had crossed a "bright red line."
Yet when it comes to international law and Palestinian rights, Ryan's commitment to the rule of law differs markedly.
In January 2025, Ryan voted YES on H.R. 23, the "Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act," which sanctions International Criminal Court officials for issuing arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Ryan was one of only 45 Democrats to join Republicans in this vote.
UN human rights experts condemned the bill, calling it "shocking to see a country that considers itself a champion" of rule of law undermining "an independent and impartial tribunal."
The Double Standard: Ryan opposes Trump undermining domestic rule of law, but actively votes to undermine international law when it comes to holding Netanyahu accountable.
Ryan's Record on Palestine
- Refused to co-sponsor HR 3565 (Block the Bombs Act) — 55+ Democratic colleagues have already signed on
- Voted YES on $26.38 billion in military aid to Israel in April 2024
- Voted YES to sanction the ICC and protect Netanyahu from war crimes prosecution in January 2025
- Voted to censure Rep. Rashida Tlaib — one of only 22 Democrats to do so in November 2023
- Refused to block $12 billion in Trump weapons transfers (8 opportunities)
- Received nearly $280,000 from AIPAC and pro-Israel lobby groups