1. United States
2. S.C.
3. Letter

Earlier today Ahmad Ismael was brutally murdered by the IDF when they opened fire on his home and the rest of his neighborhood in Gaza. He was outside trying to fill up water containers for his loved ones when he was shot to death. His close friend Motaz Azaiza describes Ahmad as "the most beautiful soul, the most compassionate person you will ever know." I wept when I saw the news. Motaz is one of the brave young Palestinian journalists documenting their own barbaric genocide to show the world the truth of the horrors they face. He has already faced unfathomable personal losses and like Palestinian academic Refaat Alareer, his life has been repeatedly threatened through "anonymous" phone calls from those identifying themselves as IDF officers. While Motaz is still alive, I worry every day will be his last. If it's not his last, then it's another Palestinian murdered via starvation, bombardments, point-blank executions, or other ways Israel has conducted their genocidal ethnic cleansing campaign. We're entering a this new year with approximately 21,600 - 30,000 Palestinians murdered since 10/7 due to Israel's barbaric genocide and ethnic cleansing campaign. In addition to the U.S. court case against my government for their aiding and abetting of the genocide of Palestinians, South Africa recently filed proceedings against Israel for their crimes, as well. Who in modern day, more than South Africa, would be able to tell the world that the crimes of apartheid, ethnic cleansing, and genocide are occurring? Even in South Africa's initial filing, having condemned the actions of Hamas, Israel's response was to accuse South Africa of being Hamas, too, and being antisemitic. Every single criticism of Israel is met with the same, tired rhetoric. You have a lot to learn from the integrity of South Africa and I encourage you do it quickly. Every day you waste more Palestinians face murder, torture, and other forms of ethno-religious extremism by Israel both in Gaza and the rest of occupied-Palestine. "For this reason it is important to place the acts of genocide in the broader context of Israel’s conduct towards Palestinians during its 75-year-long apartheid, its 56-yearlong belligerent occupation of Palestinian territory and its 16-year-long blockade of Gaza, including the serious and ongoing violations of international law...other war crimes and crimes against humanity...South Africa’s case is that those acts and omissions are genocidal in character, as they are committed with the requisite specific intent...to destroy Palestinians in Gaza as a part of the broader Palestinian national, racial and ethnical group."