1. United States
2. Letter

The recurring cycle of violence and Phoenician-scale tragedy we are witnessing reveals a truth we can no longer afford to run away from: the lives of innocent Palestinians, just as valuable as our own, are at stake. It is undeniable that the unabated flow of weaponry and funding provided to Israel by the U.S., touted for the defense of Israeli security, has been heavily implicated in the perpetration of harm against Palestinian civilians. But can we stand by when children are being brutalized, families torn apart, homes and hopes reduced to rubble in the name of ‘security’? Time has come for us to cast off our indifference, to unlearn our desensitization. Not as Democrats, Republicans, or Independents, but as human beings, we must recognize and take a stand against the inhumane toll that this conflict is claiming. We must demand now, more than ever, a complete and immediate ceasefire – a pressing necessity that can no longer be overlooked. We must also call for a halt to the complicity of U.S. in exacerbating the conflict; defunding of Israel’s lethal actions, and disarming them of the weapons employed against citizens are the least we can do to stall the senseless carnage. But our advocacy should not stop at demanding an immediate ceasefire or an end to U.S. military aid to Israel. We must additionally insist on the abolition of all forms of crimes against humanity that are being horrifically shared with us each day, be it in searing images or soul-crushing narratives. We must bear in mind that peace is not a state of no war, but a situation where justice and human rights prevail. A future without violence will remain an elusive dream unless we act now with resolute determination to address the roots of the problem: the blatant disregard of Palestinian human rights and the lack of a fair and equitable solution based on mutual recognition and respect.