May 2018
Tell Congress: 70 years of suffering is enough! Stop the lethal Israeli response to Gaza protests, hold Israel accountable, and support human rights for all.
“How
long can this go on? How long?” This was the cry, reported May 15 in The
Washington Post, of Ayman al-Sahbani, head of the emergency department at the Al-Shifa
Hospital in Gaza City, as medical facilities in Gaza struggled to cope with those
wounded in Gaza protests May 14.
The
protests were part of the ongoing Great March of Return, a series of
demonstrations calling attention to the Palestinians’ right to return to lands
from which their families were displaced in 1948 and to the suffocating siege
under which Palestinians in Gaza live today. In a May 15 statement demanding accountability
for Israel’s use of force, the Association of International Development
Agencies reported on the numbers of dead and injured saying, “Since 30 March,
more than 100 Palestinians have been killed, and another 12,271 injured,
including hundreds of children.”
The
most recent protests in Gaza, and others in the West Bank, took place on the
day U.S. officials celebrated the move of the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to
Jerusalem, a unilateral decision that prejudices the status of Jerusalem, a
matter to be resolved by negotiations, and disregards the rights and wishes of
the Palestinian people.
Marking 70 years since the establishment of the state
of Israel and the Palestinian Nakba ("catastrophe"), 14
Christian organizations, most based in the U.S., issued the ecumenical statement “70 Years On: Seeking a
Hopeful Future in a Time of Yearning,” which acknowledges present injustices; confesses
that “we have not always done all that we can to amplify the voices of
Palestinians and Israelis who seek justice and equal rights, and who support an
end to violations of human rights and human dignity”; and promises that “we
commit to persevere in our efforts to promote peace with justice and equal
rights for all.” This public statement was sent to members of Congress.
Join in “Seeking a Hopeful Future” by contacting your members
of Congress today to urge an end to Israel’s disproportionate use of force against
Palestinian protesters resulting in dozens of deaths and thousands of injuries,
accountability for these actions, and respect for human rights for all.
The
May 13 statement acknowledges U.S. complicity:
We know that our own government’s seemingly
unqualified and unquestioning support for Israel is a significant enabling
factor for Israel’s continuing and repeated violations of international
conventions and laws.
And
the groups go on to commit to action:
We will continue to raise our voices in the halls of
our government to change our government’s policies and to end injustices so
that there is freedom, justice, equality, and security for both Palestinians
and Israelis. We will remain steadfast in calling for an end to violent acts by
individuals, groups, and states. We will reinforce our leadership in support of
solutions that consider the peace and well-being of all peoples.
They conclude:
The Psalmist laments and
cries out, “How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?” Palestinians have
long asked “how long?” and looked for signs that they are not forgotten. … Seventy
years of displacement and dispossession, half a century of occupation, and
generations of yearning are enough. We trust in God, that the hope the prophets
foretold is not only a promise for all of God’s children, but will be realized,
and we pray—and recommit to working—for the realization of God’s justice and
peace for all peoples.
- Call for an end to the disproportionate use of violence by Israeli forces
against the protesters.
- Call for an investigation by the State Department to ensure that U.S.
military aid to Israel is not used in ways that contravene U.S. and
international laws.
- Insist on an end to the Gaza blockade and humanitarian relief for the
people of Gaza.
- Support policies that promote the human rights of all people,
Palestinians and Israelis alike.
Note:
If your
members of Congress have spoken out against Israel’s use of force against the
protesters, thank them by amplifying their voices on social media and adding a
note of thanks in your message to them.
(To view this message in your web browser, click here).
