1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

From Al Jazeera on September 2: Francesca Albanese, the United Nations special rapporteur on the rights situation in the Palestinian territories, says Israel's recent deadly raids in the occupied West Bank mark "a dangerous escalation.” "Israel's genocidal violence risks leaking out of Gaza and into the occupied Palestinian territory as a whole," she said in a statement. "The writing is on the wall and we cannot continue to ignore it. There is mounting evidence that no Palestinian is safe under Israel's unfettered control. Apartheid Israel is targeting Gaza and the West Bank simultaneously as part of an overall process of elimination, replacement, and territorial expansion," Albanese added. "The long-standing impunity granted to Israel is enabling the de-Palestinisation of the occupied territory, leaving Palestinians at the mercy of the forces pursuing their elimination as a national group." She called on the international community to "do everything it can to immediately end the risk of genocide against the Palestinian people under Israel's occupation, ensure accountability, and ultimately end Israel's colonisation of Palestinian territory.” President Biden’s administration continues to supply and fund Israel while knowing since October 2023 that Israel has been targeting civilians. What will presidential candidate Kamala Harris do differently? 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. As people of conscience, we will not ignore this. 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 UNRWA funding. A permanent ceasefire is an absolutely critical step to ensuring everlasting liberation and peace. The ICJ ruled that Israel should do everything in its power to prevent genocide. 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.