From AJ+ on December 18: Gaza is unrecognizable compared to what it was a few years ago. Since October 2023, Israel has killed a confirmed 45,000 Palestinians, although the actual number is estimated to be much higher. It has damaged or destroyed almost 70% of Gaza's buildings, displacing around 2 million Palestinians. Israeli authorities have been blocking over 80% of food aid from entering the Palestinian territory. And across the strip, airstrikes have destroyed or damaged over 95% of schools, depriving over 650,000 students of formal education.
The global community recognizes Israel’s genocide of Palestinians and erasure of Palestine, as well as Israeli government officials’ efforts toward further occupation. I am demanding you to take immediate steps to stop Israel’s genocide of Palestinians and massacres in Lebanon by calling for no more US weapons or funding to the Israeli military.
According to Data For Progress, the majority of America - 56% of Republicans and 86% of Democrats - support a permanent ceasefire. 70% of Democrats support restricting weapons funding to Israel. Are you going to listen to the people? Are you going to center humanity?
President Biden’s administration continues to supply and fund Israel while knowing since October 2023 that Israel has been targeting civilians. Secretary Blinken knew that Israel was blocking aid from entering Gaza and lied about it. This is continued participation in Israel’s genocide of Palestinians and a violation of Leahy Law, which prohibits our government from funding foreign forces who are implicated in gross human rights violations, including targeting civilians and deliberately preventing access to humanitarian assistance.
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. Sites of learning, culture, and historical memory — universities, mosques, churches, museums — have been decimated. The Gaza Strip's ability to produce food and clean water has been severely destroyed by Israeli airstrikes and bulldozers which have razed farms and orchards. People have unearthed mass graves with evidence of torture. As people of conscience, we will not ignore this.
The ICJ ruled that Israel should do everything in its power to prevent genocide. Never again means never again for anyone. All people - including 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, Muslim people, and Lebanese people are intertwined. There can only be true safety when we are all free from oppression.
First sent on December 20 by Alice · 171 signers in
the past 7 days
