1. United States
2. Letter

The agonizing images broadcasted each day, exposing the sheer extent of human suffering due to the escalating Israeli-Palestinian conflict, are absolutely heartrending and unacceptable. It is crucial to call for an immediate ceasefire, trying to stem the tide of an unfolding catastrophe. Every life lost, every home destroyed, and every dream shattered is a step further from peace, further from dialogue, and further from a world where humanity trumps hatred and violence. It is perpetually argued that the arms supplied by our nation to Israel are intended for self-defense. But, can we turn a blind eye to the collateral damage? Can we justify the deaths of innocent Palestinians, including women and children, as unintended consequences of self-defense? I'm compelled to balk at this narrative. Direct American funding and arms supply are inadvertently fuelling an endless cycle of violence. It is incumbent upon us to question this funding and the toll it is exacting on human life. One cannot possibly ignore the glaring crimes against humanity that are being perpetrated. The indiscriminate bombings and targeted attacks on civilians are affronts to any moral code we stand for. It rises well beyond politics and sears into the very soul of our humaneness. I plead for an immediate cessation of all funding and sending of arms that aid these horrifying actions taking place half a world away. This is no longer a plea, but a clamor for mercy, for humanity, for justice.