1. United States
2. Md.
3. Letter

As we approach the one-year anniversary of the October 7th, 2023, terrorist attack on Israel, I urge you to take a stand against the continued escalation of violence and occupation in Gaza and the West Bank. In the aftermath of this attack, Israel intensified its military actions, leading to the deaths of up to 200,000 people, according to The Lancet (Khatib et al., "Counting the dead in Gaza: difficult but essential"). Over 1 million Palestinians have been displaced, thousands of children have been maimed, and Israeli news outlet N12, along with Matthew Miller, spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State, have confirmed the existence of footage documenting the gang rape of a Palestinian prisoner in Israeli detention camps by IDF soldiers. Much of this violence has been armed and funded by the United States. One of the many innocent lives lost includes Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi, a 26-year-old American activist, who was killed while peacefully protesting in Gaza. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called her killing “unprovoked and unjustified.” This tragic loss highlights how deeply this conflict affects not only Palestinians but also U.S. citizens and peaceful activists around the world. In addition to the humanitarian crisis, the environmental impact of Israel’s military campaign has been devastating. According to The Guardian, nearly 99% of the 281,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions generated in the first 60 days of the conflict can be attributed to Israel’s aerial bombardment and ground invasion of Gaza (Lakhani, "Emissions from Israel’s war in Gaza have ‘immense’ effect on climate catastrophe"). This destruction not only deepens the climate crisis but disproportionately affects vulnerable populations already suffering under occupation. Regardless of Israel's status as America's ally, we have a responsibility to uphold international law and a moral obligation to the global community, the children of Palestine, and the future of our planet. The United States cannot continue to support war crimes, including blocking humanitarian aid, targeting journalists and paramedics, using rape as a weapon of war, and bombing hospitals, schools, and refugee camps. Israel’s expansion of this conflict into Lebanon only escalates the devastation further. I demand that you sign on to Senator Bernie Sanders’ resolution to stop more than $20 billion in U.S. arms sales to Israel. My tax dollars should not fund the murder of brown children, nor the occupation of foreign lands. If Israel chooses to continue these atrocities, they must do so without our financial support. Israel may claim to defend itself from a population that is more than 50% children, but it must do so with its own money and its own bombs. On the eve of this grim anniversary, I ask you to take a stand against complicity and for justice.