Jill Stein

Jill Stein is an American politician, physician, and environmental activist, widely recognized for her role as the Green Party’s presidential candidate in the elections of 2012, 2016, and 2024. Born on May 14, 1950, in Chicago, Illinois, she grew up in a Jewish household. Although she acknowledges her Jewish heritage, she has not prominently featured it in her political campaigns.

Stein earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Harvard University and graduated from Harvard Medical School. After working as a primary care physician, she transitioned into political activism, focusing on public health and environmental concerns, particularly the health impacts of pollution and climate change.

As a leader in the Green Party, Stein has consistently advocated for a progressive, anti-war agenda. Her political platform includes the Green New Deal, aimed at transitioning the U.S. economy from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources, creating green jobs, and promoting economic equity. Stein’s policies emphasize the elimination of fossil fuel subsidies, increased investment in clean energy, and the prioritization of sustainable practices to combat climate change.

Stein, who received 1% of the vote in the 2016 presidential election, faced criticism from many who accused her of drawing votes away from Hillary Clinton and inadvertently aiding Donald Trump’s victory. In response to these allegations, Stein rejected the claims that she helped elect Trump in 2016 and could do the same in the current election, stating that her supporters are individuals who otherwise would not have voted.

In her 2024 presidential campaign, Stein continues to promote the Green Party’s core principles of ecological sustainability, social justice, and grassroots democracy. Her platform addresses systemic racial and economic inequalities and advocates for campaign finance reform to reduce corporate influence in politics. Stein supports initiatives such as ranked-choice voting and public financing of elections to enhance democratic participation.

In addition to her environmental and social justice initiatives, Stein emphasizes a foreign policy that calls for an end to U.S. “interventionist policies.” She advocates for prioritizing diplomacy and human rights in international relations, as well as redirecting military spending toward social programs and infrastructure development.

Stein’s positions on Israel and the Palestinians have been a focal point of her political career. The Green Party does not recognize Israel as a Jewish state but a secular democracy that acknowledges the rights of all residents, including the “right of return” for Palestinians displaced during Israel’s War of Independence. Stein has also expressed support for the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement, which seeks to delegitimize Israel over its alleged treatment of Palestinians. The party platform blames Israel for “decades of violence, illegal occupation, displacement, dispossession, apartheid, and ethnic cleansing.”

During the Israel-Hamas conflict in 2023-2024, Stein harshly criticized Israel’s military offensive and supported an immediate U.S. arms embargo on Israel, emphasizing the humanitarian impact on civilians in Gaza, which she referred to as “genocide.” While she acknowledged Israel’s right to exist, she has harshly condemned what she describes as the disproportionate use of force by the Israeli government, particularly under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s leadership. She has stated that the hostages “must be returned” but blamed Netanyahu for their continued captivity. This critical stance has garnered support from some Muslim and Arab-American communities, particularly in battleground states like Michigan.

Jill Stein’s political career is characterized by her focus on significant societal issues, such as climate change and social inequality. Through her activism and candidacy, she seeks to advocate for a more equitable and sustainable future, emphasizing the importance of representing marginalized communities and enhancing democratic participation.

Sources: “Platform,” Jill Stein 2024.
“Meet Our Nominees: Jill Stein & Butch Ware,” Green Party US.  
Azad Essa, “Jill Stein on America's democracy crisis, movement building and ending Israel's war on Palestinians,” Middle East Eye, (August 15, 2024). 
Lauren Markoe, “Jill Stein says war in Gaza ‘makes any genocide pale by comparison’ — and then says she misspoke,” Forward, (August 27, 2024). 
“Muslim Americans moving to anti-Israel Jill Stein in potential blow to Kamala Harris,” Times of Israel, (September 19, 2024). 

Photo: Portrait of Jill Stein - Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.