From U.N. Human Rights Office: A report released in July 2024 by the U.N. Human Rights Office highlights Israel's torture and arbitrary detainment of thousands of Palestinians since October 7, 2023. Since October 7, thousands of Palestinians - including men, women, children, doctors, journalists, human rights defenders, medical patients and captured fighters - "have been taken from Gaza to Israel, usually shackled and blindfolded. Thousands more have been detained in the West Bank and Israel. They have generally been held in secret, without being given a reason for their detention, access to a lawyer or effective judicial review." The report shared testimony from those arbitrarily detained by Israel, highlighting torture such as waterboarding, their hands being tied and suspended from the ceiling, being deprived of food, sleep and water, electric shocks and cigarette burns, sexual violence, and more.
President Biden continues to supply and fund Israel while knowing since October 2023 that Israel has been targeting civilians. On July 11, he approved more 500 pound bombs to supply Israel. This is continued participation in Israel’s genocide of Palestinians, erasure of Palestine, and a violation of Leahy Law, which prohibits our government from funding foreign forces who are implicated in gross human rights violations.
International scholar and lawyer, Francesca Albanese, has documented how Israel’s gross human rights violations and war crimes are genocidal acts, including their targeting of hospitals and healthcare workers, targeting journalists and civilians, using starvation as a weapon, etc. Israeli government officials have repeatedly expressed genocidal intent. People have unearthed mass graves with evidence of torture. As people of conscience, we will not ignore this.
According to Data For Progress, 86% of Democrats support a permanent ceasefire, and 70% of Democrats support restricting weapons funding to Israel. Are you going to listen to the people? Are you going to center humanity?
I am demanding you to take immediate steps to stop Israel’s genocide of Palestinians by calling for 1) a total and permanent bilateral ceasefire, 2) humanitarian aid allowed to enter Gaza, 3) an end to Israel's siege on Gaza, 4) the release of all Palestinian and Israeli hostages, 5) no more weapons or funding to the Israeli military, 6) the reinstatement of U.N.R.W.A funding. A permanent ceasefire is an absolutely critical step to ensuring everlasting liberation and peace.
Never again means never again for anyone. Palestinians deserve to live with freedom and safety which means first stopping this genocide and then ensuring liberation from occupation and apartheid. The liberation and safety of Palestinians, Israelis, Jewish people, and Muslim people are intertwined. There can only be true safety when we are all free from oppression.
First sent on July 31 by Alice
