1. United States
2. Letter

Conflict is tearing apart the threads of humanity, ripping through homes, schools, hospitals and dreams, turning vibrant communities into ghastly graveyards. It is sickening to watch innocents suffer and die daily in the tensions between Israel and Palestine, especially knowing that we – as citizens of a world leading country – remain complicit in this massacre. Our tax dollars, our economy, our resources are being used to fund the violence, the oppression, and the dreadful crimes against humanity, committed day after day in the name of national security and retaliation. Can we stand idle and mute, while our hard-earned money handles the triggers that kill children, pregnant women, the elderly, and innocent civilians? Can we ignore that we are aiding and abetting the crippling blockade that has left the general public in Gaza deprived of fundamental rights and necessities? It is beyond time for a serious re-evaluation of our country's foreign aid and arms trade with Israel, which are considerably augmenting the intensity and duration of these deadly conflicts. It is not a call for the U.S to cease all relations with our ally, but a plea for humanity. A plea for a cease-fire, for disarmament, for peace talks instead of gunshots. It is about time we press the pause button on all military funds to Israel, until at the very least, it shows significant efforts to reduce the suffering of Palestinian civilians. In standing up for the rights of Palestinian civilians, we are standing up for basic human justice, the same justice our forefathers fought for – the same justice we owe our children. Let us not be the generation that watches in disinterest as humanity bleeds out – let’s stand up and advocate for change.