1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

From Al Jazeera on October 6: 75% of Gaza’s population (1.7 million out of 2.3 million) have been infected with contagious diseases. At least 350,000 chronically ill patients are in danger due to medication not being allowed in. At least 15,000 injured and ill people need to travel abroad for treatment. At least 10,000 cancer patients are facing death and need treatment. 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. 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. People have unearthed mass graves with evidence of torture. As people of conscience, we will not ignore this. I am demanding you to take immediate steps to stop Israel’s genocide of Palestinians and massacres in Lebanon by calling for no more weapons or funding to the Israeli military. I support Senator Sanders’ Joint Resolutions of Disapproval to block arms sales to Israel. 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.