1. United States
2. Wash.
3. Letter

CONGRESS I sit here writing, not as a politician nor a representative of any organization, but merely as a human being, surrounded by my family and the comfort of my home, and I am moved by an unrelenting gut-ache that ceases not. It is an ache borne not from illness, but from an unforgiving reality shared by countless others worldwide - that of witnessing with helpless despair the ongoing violence against civilian lives, particularly the Palestinians, funded in large part by US dollars and armed with US-made weapons. We need to remind ourselves that the casualties of this violence are not mere numbers that will be lost in the annals of history. Each one had a name, a home and a family. They had dreams they wanted to accomplish and they had a life which they cherished, just like you and I. Each of these lives is precious, and the innocent civilians lost due to the conflict, Palestinian and Israeli alike, are a sad testament to our collective failure as conscientious guardians of justice and humanity. The US, a beacon of democracy with its extensive influence, must use its power wisely. It should not continue to enable misery by funding offensive operations and providing arms that annihilally claim the lives of innocent men, women, and children. It is an urgent plea—echoed thousands of miles across continents; whispered in homes, mosques, churches, and synagogues; that we consider the tremendous impact a ceasefire could have on civilian lives and on prospects for lasting peace in the region. How many more generations need to be persecuted and forced to live under the shadow of fear, violence, and death? It is high time we bring an end to these crimes against humanity and work towards a peaceful resolution that will ensure the right to life, freedom, and respect for all inhabitants of the Holy Land, regardless of their race or religion.