Beth Liston, a Democratic Ohio state senator, stated on Friday that she canceled her plans to join a legislative trip to Israel.
“My hope had been to learn and ask tough questions of the Israeli government actions, particularly related to humanitarian aid in Gaza,” she stated. “I am grateful to the constituents who helped me see the harm of this approach.”
Liston said that she studied “history books, news articles, non-governmental organization publications and congressional reports” to prepare for the trip and met with “Jewish and Palestinian constituents to arm myself against biased one-sided perspectives, and with a list of things to ask.”
“What I decided was that I didn’t just need to guard against propaganda. I was the propaganda in this sponsored trip,” she stated. “I did not want to be used as a tool in support of the Israeli government actions. I cancelled the trip.”
The state senator drew criticism, including from another state lawmaker.
“I am on this trip and you have just been used,” stated Esther Panitch, a Georgia state representative and a Democrat, who is the only Jewish member of the Georgia state legislature. “You would be welcome to ask the hard questions.”
“What those opposing don’t want you to see are the burned out civilian homes where whole families were set on fire to burn alive, to hear about the thousands of Gazan civilians who also crossed the border that day to rape, behead and pillage,” Panitch said.
“To meet with Muslim, Druze and Christian lawmakers, to see fully integrated cities, to see signs in Arabic, Hebrew and English, to meet Israelis of all colors and religions,” Panitch added. “It’s just too bad you took a spot from someone who, clearly unlike you, could see right from wrong.”
Clifford D. May, founder and president of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, also criticized the Ohio state senator’s statement.
“Why would you want to ask tough questions and learn? Learning isn’t for you. It would be a waste of your time,” he stated. “Your constituents know all about Israel, Hamas, jihadism, Islamism, the Muslim Brotherhood, Zionism and of course those dastardly Jews.”
“So just listen to them,” he said. “Especially the ones carrying signs saying “globalize the intifada’ and ‘from the river to the sea.’”
Dem lawmaker proudly announces that she’s been successfully bullied by leftists into canceling her fact-finding mission to Israel. There is undoubtedly large overlap between these bigoted bullies and the assassination celebration crowd. It’s the same people. https://t.co/UZeWDSQ4dc
— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) September 14, 2025
