Independent presidential candidate Jill Stein chose Prof. Rudolph "Butch" Ware as her running mate in her bid for the White House. Stein who heads the Green Party has little to no chance of winning but could tip the scales since the race between Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Kamala Harris is very close.
By day, 50-year-old Ware studies the history of imperialism; by night, he's half of the hip-hop duo Slum Prophecy, whose lyrics are filled with sharp political criticism and a strong anti-Israel tone. Even Stein herself, a Jewish-American politician who has recently become an outspoken critic of Israeli policies, appears relatively moderate compared to Ware's radical messaging.
Ware’s group recently released a full-length tribute album to the October 7 massacre titled Aqsa Flood — after the name Hamas gave to its atrocities in Israeli communities near Gaza. The album includes tracks such as “Free Da People,” “Olive Branches,” and “Intifada,” with lyrics calling for a “global intifada” and encouraging Iran to target Iron Dome batteries.
But this latest album is only part of Ware’s story — a wealthy academic and social activist from Washington who converted to Islam. On Stein’s campaign website, he’s described as “a lifelong activist and educator specializing in the history of empire, colonialism, genocide and revolution." The website goes on to say that for the past two decades, "Ware has put scholarship in service of the people, especially in response to the ongoing genocide in Gaza, as well as the George Floyd murder in 2020.
“He has organized teach-ins, community education curricula, and other activist and organizing initiatives. More broadly, Ware has been working as a public intellectual, activist, artist, and organizer, supporting communities across the country and around the world to challenge imperialism, ethnic cleansing, and endless war, and to build sustainable, just, peaceful alternatives rooted in African, Indigenous, and Abrahamic traditions.”
Ware expresses these views on his social media, where he frequently posts scathing criticisms of Israel — referred to by him as “the Zionist entity.” Among other things, he compares Israel's actions in Gaza to Nazi concentration camps and shares posts that justify violent actions against Israeli civilians.
One post Israel called to “be wiped off the map,” condemning the Jewish state as a “a fake colony that never should have existed & will hopefully cease to exist very soon.” Ware has also repeatedly denied the reports of sexual violence against Israeli women on October 7.
On October 7, 2023, Ware shared the slogan “From the river to the sea, Palestine will soon be free,” adding his own caption: “Oppressors, whatever ‘faith’ they may claim, are doomed in this life and in the next.”
His rhetoric contrasts sharply with the Green Party’s pacifist tone. In a statement marking one year since the Hamas terrorists' attack, Stein condemned the brutality of the assault but argued that Israel’s policies toward the West Bank and Gaza were a cause of the violence. She also expressed distress over the destruction resulting from Israel’s actions against Hamas.
Stein, now running for president for the third time, sought a Palestinian-American as her running mate. However, her alliance with someone like Ware has raised questions even among her long-time supporters.
While the U.S. progressive wing largely supports Palestinian rights and limits U.S. support for Israel, Ware’s messaging steps far beyond mainstream discourse. This partnership has raised concerns over a potentially deepening divide between segments of the U.S. progressive Jewish community and the Green Party.
Stein herself is no stranger to controversy. She previously received official support from former KKK leader David Duke — a move that added to her divisive image, despite her campaign's clear statement distancing herself from him. In recent years, she has repeatedly taken positions labeling Israel as an apartheid state, placing direct blame for the plight of Palestinians on the Israeli government and the IDF.
Amid pro-Palestinian protests on U.S. campuses, she was arrested for resisting the removal of a tent encampment at Washington University in St. Louis. The 74-year-old Stein, who was documented confronting police, had come to campus to support students demanding that the university divest from Boeing due to its defense contracts with Israel’s military industry.
Stein’s campaign didn’t respond to Ynet’s request for comment on her selection of Prof. Ware, nor did it respond to Jewish Insider, which first exposed his controversial remarks.
Stein’s associates claimed the move aimed to strengthen her support base among audiences who identify with the Palestinian struggle and to establish the Green Party as a home for young and radical left-leaning supporters frustrated with the relatively moderate stance of mainstream parties.
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