A St. Patrick’s Day challenge for Congressman Josh Riley

By Jack Gilroy, Peace Action NYS, Veterans For Peace

Congressman Josh Riley’s 19th Congressional District stretches from Ithaca, Binghamton, Oneonta, and Norwich east through the Catskills to Woodstock and Kingston. Josh waged a long and strenuous fight to win a victory as a spokesman for human rights and the working class in the 19th District. In addition to asserting that he will not accept money from corporate PACs, Josh will need political courage and be willing to speak truth to underlying forces that respect greed, hate, and power.

If Josh dares to speak out, his two key opponents will be the weapons manufacturers who make huge profits by pushing government to war (known as the “Merchants of Death”) and the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a lobbying group for Israel, commonly known as AIPAC.

Congressman Riley, you know that economic conversion from war-making to peace-making is needed throughout the US. You were endorsed by US labor unions and are aware that Americans no longer make most of the products we consume. We need not consult consumer statisticians; we can read the labels made in China, Vietnam, or Bangladesh, but rarely do we read: “Made in the US”, except for designing, making, using and selling weapons of death and destruction, in which we lead the world. How admirable is that, Congressman?

Josh, why not break the silence and have your staff call for change in the 19th Congressional District of New York? Set up Town Hall Meetings around key war spending areas in your congressional district, including on college campuses like Cornell, Colgate, Binghamton University, and other SUNY institutions. Meet in Binghamton/Endicott, Ithaca/Cortland, and invite economic conversion experts to encourage the switch from so-called Defense Contracts to jobs that design and produce human needs. Teach the profitably of the Business of Peace vs The Business of War  https://thebusinessofwar.substack.com/p/mapping-the-business-of-war 

On this St. Patrick’s Day Josh, why not imitate the saint’s driving the snakes out of Ireland by speaking out in the US Congress for bills to promote economic conversion from our world-leading design and production of bombs, killer drones, and electronic systems that blow up people, places, and things to the design and production of systems and products that enhance life; our lives.

You won’t immediately turn around the lie of America being made secure by guns and bombs. But you will keep your dignity by insisting that we convert from designing and producing things that kill to things that embrace all life on our fragile planet and you will find many of your constituents supporting you.

Josh, you know the truth of the false narrative concocted by the Merchants of Death that the military keeps us safe. when the exact opposite is true. This narrative was to strike fear in the hearts and minds of Americans in order to make the weapons corporations richer. It’s nice to learn that your first co-sponsored bill calls for more weatherizing of homes. This is a good thing for residents of the 19th District. Now, don’t accept the lie and instead of thanking our service members, shake hands and thank real service people–garbage collectors, construction workers, nurses, teachers, doctors, truck drivers, agricultural workers, retail shelf stockers, cashiers, and many more.

Another challenge you will face is from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. AIPAC is the Israeli lobby tail that wags its dog—the US Congress. AIPAC, just in the past year, made a financial deal in the US Congress that rivals Secretary of State William Seward’s 1867 purchase of Alaska ($7.2 million) AIPAC bought off the US Congress for just $58 million with $18 Billion return in just 2024. Remember that it takes 1,000 million to equal $1 Billion. 

https://www.cfr.org/article/us-aid-israel-four-charts

Josh, do you plan to support genocidal Israel in your first term? You have been silent on this vital issue. AIPAC rules the US House and Senate by paying off those House and Senate Members who have been generous to Israel and/or have elections against any candidate who challenges Israel and AIPAC. Josh, show them you have a backbone. Speak out loud and clear to Sen Schumer and all the Zionists who support apartheid, hate, destruction, and death of Palestinian people. Congressman Riley, say no to more weapons for Israel.

You have taken the admirable stance of asserting you will not take corporate Pac money. Congressman, you need to stand up to the sociopaths in both war parties wagged by the Israeli tail of AIPAC and the Merchants of Death. Please don’t be a brother to these criminals.

This St Patrick’s Day of 2025, parades around the USA will call for an end to Israeli genocide with banners and chants in support of Palestine, as they did in your home district city of Binghamton. Riley is an anglicized version of the Irish surname Ó Raghallaigh, but Josh, you show little of the Irish passion for justice in Palestine born of hundreds of years of English terror in Ireland. Do you identify more as English than Irish and, like the English government, prefer to defend Israeli murders of tens of thousands of children and their relatives in Gaza? If you refuse to speak out against Israeli genocide and attend any St Patrick’s Day event, you might consider carrying a sign without a shamrock noting: “I Support Gaza Genocide.”

I write this with deep concern that Josh Riley has more fear of AIPAC than love and empathy for the Palestinian people. One of the first votes cast by Congressman Riley supported an AIPAC position on protecting war criminal Bibi Netanyahu. AIPAC will be happy if Josh does not speak out for the 18,000 murdered children in Gaza. AIPAC will be happy if Josh won’t call for an end to arming the genocidal state of Israel. AIPAC will be happy if Josh does not use the word genocide for fear of offending Zionists. AIPAC likes Josh but will love him for his silence—and if he does not accept their bribes, with no financial cost—imagine that! 

As Congressman Riley’s term continues, AIPAC will sing: Not a nickel, not a dime. Josh votes for Israel every time.

Josh, don’t be beholden to either the Merchants of Death or AIPAC. Make the call for a reduction of the US military budget by just ten percent to start (Trump calls for 50 %; his lies balance his hyperbole). Call for an investment in real needs like housing, health care, clean air, water, soil, education, transportation, disease research, etc instead of weapons of death and destruction. If the Merchants of Death and AIPAC attack, fight back and you will find allies locally and nationally. 

Congressman Josh, you were endorsed by human rights and immigrant rights organizations. Now let’s see you stand up in Congress and call for an end to weaponizing and to the most significant abuser of human rights in the world today, Israel.

Follow your heart and soul, Josh, which must tell you to do the right thing.