Two dozen activists on Thursday urged New York’s congressional leaders in Washington to end the war with Iran, expressing frustration over what they see as a lack of pressure on President Donald Trump.
The rally, which took place in from of U.S. Representative Hakeem Jeffries' district office in Fort Greene, was organized by the National Iranian American Council, and held Jeffries and U.S. Representative Gregory Meeks accountable for not bringing forth the vote on the Iran War Powers Resolution to the House Floor before recess.
House Democrats tried to bring the resolution, which demands Trump visit Congress to seek authorization for the war, to the floor during a pro forma session, or a brief meeting, on Thursday, but House Republicans did not make that possible. Even so, anti-war activists spoke out on their disappointment with Washington Democrats.
Etan Mabourakh, a Park Slope resident and NIAC Organizing Manager, expressed concern over what he called "timidity" from Jeffries for not forcing a vote.
He thought Jeffries was "giving a free pass to President Trump to escalate the war during which more civilians died, our troops were put in harm's way, and the global economy spiralled into chaos."
Mabourakh, a Jewish-Iranian American, displayed a printout of an X post from February 2025, in which the congressman was quoted by The Forward as saying, "We will not take our foot off the gas pedal until Iran is brought to its knees for the good of the world."
Amidst boos from those that gathered, he pointed out that Jeffries had not retracted, apologized, or responded to criticism over the comments.
"We need leadership from Leader Jeffries and Ranking Member Meeks," Mabourakh said. "We need them to find votes. We need them to work with, not against, the grassroots community pushing for peace and against war."
Mabourakh was joined by Dr. Charlotte Phillips, chairperson of Brooklyn for Peace and Brooklynite Rev. Mira Sawlani-Joyner, the Minister of Justice, Advocacy & Change at Riverside Church in Manhattan.
"Genocide prevention must mean concrete action," Dr. Phillips said. "Against the political, military, economic, and social conditions that allow genocide and mass atrocities. It must be the refusal to fund, excuse, and normalize the destruction of civilian life and healthcare systems."
Rev. Sawlani-Joyner criticized President Trump for calling the war in Iran a "holy war" that was part of God's plan.
"What we are witnessing from the administration, and those who remain silent, is moral failure," she said. "Democratic House leaders must act with moral courage. Pass this resolution to the House floor. Now!"
Amid chants of "Shame" and "Push the vote," Mabourakh told BK Reader that NIAC had been pressing Jeffries' office about whether the resolution would ever be voted on and the rally was meant to put pressure on Jeffries to quicken the pace.
He said many Iranian-Americans from across the country has been asking him about what Jeffries was going to do.
"We had to do this," he said. "There's no substitute to voting on the resolution. We stand by him if he does something but he continues to drag his feet."
Late Thursday, Jeffries said House Democrats will force a vote after returning from recess early next week.
"We will force another vote on the House Floor around the War Powers Resolution that will compel the Trump administration to cease military hostilities immediately so we can all focus on the issues that we know matter to everyday Americans—driving down the high cost of living, fixing our broken healthcare system, getting ICE under control and ensuring that we are actually improving the quality of life of everyday Americans and the people that we all proudly represent here in New York City," he said.
Congressman Meeks' office did not reply to a call for comment before publication.
