Pro-Palestine Groups Protested David Trone in 2018

Two pro-Palestine groups protested David Trone in 2018 over his pro-Israel stance.

The Maryland-based group Freedom2BoyCott, “a Palestinian Solidarity organization that advocates for a constitutionally protected right to boycott,” joined forces with Baltimore Jewish Voice for Peace, also a Maryland political activist group that addresses issues of human rights and the occupation of Palestine, according to its Facebook page.

The groups protested what they describe as David Trone’s “anti-Palestinian position” and his “strong support for the Cardin Anti-BDS bill, which the American Civil Liberties Union, Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) and Maryland U.S. Sen. Chris Van Hollen have both condemned,” according to Freedom2Boycott founder and spokesperson former Maryland state Del. Saqib Ali, who represented District 39 from 2006-2010.

According to the Facebook event, the first protest occurred before the Hood College Congressional District 6 forum on Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2018.

The groups protested Trone on Sunday, Jan. 21, 2018, at the Sandy Springs Friends School in Silver Spring, Maryland.

“David Trone’s stated positions on the Israel/Palestinian conflict are deeply problematic because they are completely one-sided in favor of Israel (the occupying party) while indifferent to Palestinian concerns. Nowhere in his statement does he mention the words “occupation”, “settlements” or “human rights” — even though these are some of the most core issues,” Ali told A Miner Detail.

Ali, a former Maryland state delegate, said Trone pledged to attack the movement to boycott Israel and Israel’s illegal settlements in the West Bank even though that right is firmly enshrined in the U.S. Constitution and has been a key tool in fighting injustices as varied as segregation to South African apartheid to Donald Trump’s presidency.”

“David Trone says that Israel should be considered the 51st state. But we think that a country with such a poor human rights record shouldn’t because it doesn’t share American values at all,” Ali continued.

When reached, a Trone campaign spokesperson told A Miner Detail, “They’ve misstated David’s position, and it’s a shame that they’ve never reached out to discuss this with him. David believes that you can both be a strong supporter of Israel and support a two-state solution.”

Mr. Trone ran for Congress in 2016 in Maryland’s 8th Congressional District but lost in the primary to now Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.).

He was first elected to Congress in November 2018 and re-elected in 2020 and 2022.

In May 2023, Trone announced his bid for Maryland’s open U.S. Senate seat. His chief Democratic rival is Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks.

Whoever emerges from the Senate primary will likely face former Maryland Republican Gov. Larry Hogan in the November general election.

May 14, 2024, is Maryland’s primary.