Dear John,
It has been horrifying to witness the suffering of Israelis and Palestinians and the atrocious war crimes committed in Israel and Gaza these past few days. One thing that should be apparent to all is that war is hell.
NIAC condemns war and violence against civilians in all forms. We are outraged by the killing of Israelis and Palestinians and the dehumanization of civilians that preceded this latest outbreak of horrific violence. That is why it has always been our top priority, as voted by our members, to prevent war and work for peace. No matter the political winds, no matter the emotional turmoil, we will always put human dignity and innocent lives above partisanship or political interests.
Sadly, but not unexpectedly, some seek to exploit this tragedy to advocate for more war.
Senator Lindsey Graham said [[link removed]] , "It is time to take the war to the Ayatollah's backyard."
UANI explicitly called [[link removed]] for military attacks inside Iran.
NUFDI called [[link removed]] for "cutting off the head of the snake."
GOP Presidential candidate Nikki Haley called [[link removed]] for Netanyahu to "finish them."
Already, there has been reckless and dubious reporting by the Wall Street Journal that claimed Iran had direct involvement in the attack, which U.S., Israeli, and Iranian officials have rejected. There have also been partisan efforts to claim Biden's transfer of Iranian humanitarian funds were linked to these attacks, which U.S. officials have flatly denied.
The expansion of this war is not in the interests of Israelis, Palestinians, Americans, or Iranians. With Hezbollah launching rockets [[link removed]] from the North and Israel still reeling from tragedy and a major intelligence failure, the risk of this conflict spiraling out of control - and bringing in more actors - is real. We will be working and doing everything in our power to advocate against escalation and an expansion of suffering, against war crimes and human rights violations, and in favor of solutions to put an end to the bloodshed.
There are countless voices in Washington and around the world that are empowered by violence, fear, and war. Our priority remains peace and human dignity, and it is more important right now than ever that voices for peace are heard above the drumbeat of war.
As always, we will continue to update you about our priorities and work in the days ahead, please stay tuned in for opportunities to organize against war.
In solidarity,
Jamal Abdi NIAC President[[link removed]]
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