REVEALED: Human Rights Commissioner, Washington State school board candidate advocates for destruction of Israel

Han Tran, who is running for the NorthShore School Board in Bothell, Washington, has written in posts dating back to 2021 “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” an anti-Semitic trope calling for the ethnic cleansing of all Jews from Israel.

Some of the posts were in the form of videos that appear as if Tran took them while attending a 2021 anti-Israel rally where far-left protesters, including Antifa, demanded the destruction of Israel as they burned an Israeli flag while assaulting pro-Israel civilians.

The event was honoring the 73rd anniversary of what Palestinians call Nakba, translated as “the disaster,” referring to the creation of the modern state of Israel and how a nation of Holocaust survivors and farmers withstood an attack from surrounding Arab neighbors in 1948.

Participants at the rally called for a single state in which Israel no longer existed and chanted “Long live the Intifada,” which is a violent uprising that targets Israeli civilians.

Even though Tran had written public posts calling for the genocide of Jews, Democratic Governor Jay Inslee appointed her to the state’s Human Rights Commission in 2022.

Tran is endorsed by many Democratic organizations including the state’s teachers’ unions, as well as high-ranking Democratic officials. So far none have responded to inquiries if they will keep or pull their support.

Some of her endorsements that stand out are King County Council members Girmay Zahilay and Rod Dembowski who last year voted for a resolution against antisemitism. The endorsements also include state Senator Manka Dhingra who last year blocked attempts to fix Democrat passed police pursuit reforms which led to a massive spike in stolen vehicles and suspects evading officers.

Last week, after her history of antisemitism was discovered, Tran locked down some of her social media. She wrote a statement that did not apologize for her comments but instead attempted a moral equivalence between Israel and Hamas terrorists.

In an attempt to quell the outrage from the electorate, Tran wrote, “In the last 24 hours I've been listening learning, and reflecting thanks to members of our community who have so graciously engaged in a meaningful dialogue with me. I want to take this opportunity to share your grief and fear amidst the horror unfolding far away from our homes but not far from our hearts.”

She failed to condemn the terrorist organization that massacred, raped and tortured over 1,400 Israelis and took over 200 people—including Americans—hostage and instead wrote, “In the strongest of terms I do not support Hamas or any government that targets civilians or engages in violence. This encompasses not only the reprehensible tactics employed by the Israeli government such as cutting off essential supplies like water electricity and food to Gaza but also the notice for 1.1 million people to evacuate before air strikes ensue when there is nowhere safe to go. These actions go against basic humanity.”

She then admitted to not just attending but also speaking at the aforementioned rally which called for the ethnic cleansing of Jews from Israel. “Thank you for giving me the opportunity to address the concerns raised about my statements at a rally in 2021 where I stood alongside Palestinian organizers and members of the Jewish community advocating for the basic rights of Palestinians. I would not them and do not now promote hatred or discrimination. I also want to make it absolutely clear that I condemn anti-Semitism Islamophobia and all forms of discrimination.”

“I regret that my past comments have caused hurt and a distraction in the school board race and I understand the concerns community members have raised throughout my campaign and my role as a human rights commissioner in Washington and I have consistently stood with marginalized communities.”