1. United States
2. Wash.
3. Letter

I am writing to voice the dread and desperation that shadows my heart each and every day as I watch, in real-time, the terrible proceedings unfolding in both Israel and Palestine. We live in a time where people are screaming for peace, unity, and justice, yet we seem to be funding and facilitating the opposite. Every day, innocent men, women, and children lose their lives to an unending cycle of violence that has been tragically normalized. This normalization of human rights abuses, this turning of a blind eye to crimes against humanity, is a nowhere road, a stain on our collective conscience. We are facing the paradox of a world that advances in technology and champions progress while simultaneously perpetuating patterns of armed conflict and violence. The fact that U.S. funding facilitates the violation of human rights in Palestine boggles my mind. Families are being torn apart, children are losing their parents, homes are being turned to rubble - not in some distant past, but here, now, this very instant. It is devastating. It is untenable. It is entirely avoidable if only we, as a nation, choose the path of compassion, justice, and true diplomacy. I cannot, with my whole heart, support such actions, nor can I stand by in silence as my country contributes to escalating tensions and suffering. Our funding should be directed towards peace initiatives, development, education, and healthcare. We should assist in building bridges, not buying bullets. I beg of you, stop sending arms that further fuel these conflicts. Advocate for a ceasefire, demand justice for the atrocities committed, and let us be the nation that aids in healing, rather than one that abets in harm. Urgency in this matter is non-negotiable. Peace cannot afford to wait.