We have some exciting news! A few weeks ago, the DelPHR Leadership Team sat down with Dwayne Bensing to discuss his candidacy for DE Attorney General and we were….wowed. Although it is not the norm for DelPHR to endorse political candidates, Dwayne is extraordinary—a man of palpable integrity, he is running for statewide office, and we believe that if he is elected, he will be a force for good when it comes to Palestinian human rights.
As you know, DelPHR—with your support and active assistance—has been working for more than a year on convincing the current Delaware Attorney General, Kathy Jennings, to investigate two DE-registered entities we believe are in violation of a number of laws: domestic, international and moral.
Last summer you signed petitions and started making the calls that continued into this year urging the DE AG to open an investigation into the Gaza Humanitarian Fund, credibly accused of participation in genocide. More recently, we have asked for your help in calling on Jennings to look into a radical and violent organization called Betar, which was found to be in violation of NY civil rights laws and banned from implementing it dangerous tactics by NY’s AG, Letitia James.
To date, the AG and her office have been, to put it kindly, unresponsive. We approached her as Delaware residents who believe that our state has an obligation—through the AG-- to uphold civil and human rights and to follow the law in these areas. Her silence speaks volumes about the esteem in which she holds both these legal principals and her constituents.
So it was with great delight that we listened to Dwayne, long-time legal director at the DE ACLU, discuss the three pillars that undergird his approach to the office of AG:
Corporate Accountability –while our corporate system is central to the business of running DE, this does not and must not give corporations free rein or place them above the law;
The AG must act as a representative of those who elected them, not as the default lawyer and advocate for government institutions or officials;
Civil rights are at the heart of what an AG must strive to protect and promote
It was clear to us from our conversation that Dwayne would, if elected, support the rights of peaceful pro-Palestinian protestors in Delaware, would take very seriously the allegations of fraud and criminal behavior we shared with Jennings about GHF and Betar, and would carve out an independent role for himself which centers civil and human rights.
Please check out his website and social media. Dwayne is scheduling virtual town halls every Tuesday over the summer (at varying times of day) where you can hear him for yourself and ask your own questions. Scroll down to the EVENTS button on his website to find times and to register for a town hall.
We are enthusiastic about endorsing and supporting Dwayne’s campaign and we hope you will be as well. We need a Delaware Attorney General who is not part of the machine, and who will prioritize justice and human rights. Not only will this benefit ordinary Delawareans, but we believe Dwayne will contribute to Palestinian human rights and the civil rights of all of us who speak out for Palestine. It is time to pass the torch.
