Open Letter to Rep. Adam Smith
Explanation to the reader: The following is an open letter to the congressional representative Adam Smith, with whom the author is acquainted. The author lived in his district and supported him. Rep. Smith has a stellar record of supporting the US-Israel relationship and has served in numerous capacities relating to military and foreign affairs. Yet, he was one of the 100 Democratic party congressional representatives to vote for an amendment to a foreign aid bill that proposed withholding the entire amount of foreign aid earmarked for Israel. His statement explaining his vote is linked at the end of the letter.
OPEN LETTER TO ADAM SMITH CONGERESSIONAL REPRESENTATIVE FOR WASHINGTON STATE, 9THDISTRICT
Dear Rep. Smith,
I don’t know if you remember me, I served together with you at the Seattle City Attorney’s Office in the early 1990’s. I lived in your district until 2022 and supported you in every election until I moved away.
I was beyond dismayed to see that you voted for the Massie Amendment to HR 8595. I read your statement and I see that you attempt to frame your vote simply as a protest against Israel’s current government. If that’s all it was, I wouldn’t bother to write this letter. As you are well aware, the current government is highly unpopular in Israel and many of us hope it will be voted out of office 3 months from now.
The Massie amendment, however, was a repudiation of the entire Israel-USA relationship Period. And your explanation justifying your vote included the following sentence:
“But Israel does not have to fight the way they have chosen to do so—a way that has caused enormous suffering and led to endless war.”
This is not a criticism of the Israeli government alone, it is a broadside attack against the IDF and its operations in Gaza. Ever since October 7, 2023, I have observed numerous American politicians and pundits lambast the IDF for its operations (never mind the truly twisted libelous accusations of “genocide,” which I note you have not made) without any of them ever articulating what it is it the IDF did that it should not have done or did not do that it should have done.
I won’t repeat here all of the actions the IDF did take to minimize non-combatant casualties as I assume you have full knowledge, given your extensive history of involvement in military matters in congress and your current assignments. Likewise, I don’t have to explain to you the challenges of engaging an enemy that purposely choses to imbed itself inside a civilian population in a dense urban environment. I am aware of and appreciate your expertise.
So let me ask you to please state in detail your answer to the questions I referenced above: What did the IDF do that it should not have done or did not do that it should have done? In answering the question, please be sure to relate to the fact that, up until the October 25, 2025 ceasefire, Hamas and its allies were holding Israeli hostages, and that Hamas, with its extensive tunnel network, continued to pose an imminent threat to security of every single Israeli citizen. (While the hostages are finally out, the threat Hamas poses remains, even as I write these lines).
You say you are trying to get the Israeli government’s attention. Well, you have my attention. I no longer reside in your district, but I have many friends and acquaintances who do and am still involved with local institutions. I know many Seattleites who would be interested in your answer.
Respectfully yours,
David Shayne
Memphis, TN/Jerusalem, Israel
https://adamsmith.house.gov/news/press-releases/rep-smith-statement-his-vote-support-massie-amendment-8