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Dear John,
More than twenty years ago, Congress made a series of decisions that led to 20 years of war and 4.5 million associated deaths. They’re facing another momentous decision now.
Did we learn anything from those 20 years of war?
The White House and Congressional leaders have now called to double down (or actually, triple down [[link removed]] ) on support for the Israeli military. Their timing couldn’t be worse.
The Israeli government’s onslaught of Gaza has cost nearly 9,000 Palestinian lives [[link removed]] , including more than 3,500 children [[link removed].] . Experts from the United Nations [[link removed]] , the U.S. State Department [[link removed]] , and international human rights organizations [[link removed]] have referred to Israeli government’s actions as war crimes [[link removed]] , ethnic cleansing [[link removed]] , and genocide [[link removed]] . All of this follows years of what rights organizations have labeled apartheid [[link removed]] .
Every country has a right to defend itself. No country has a right to target civilians.
The Biden administration has called for a massive $105 billion military aid package [[link removed]] that would include aid to Ukraine, military aid for Israel, funds to militarize the Southern border, and funds for the Indo-Pacific. Instead of funding wars, those funds could fund ALL of the following:
*
Keep
childcare
centers
open
for
millions
of
kids
*
Healthcare
for
4.8
million
children
*
Public
housing
for
6
million
families
*
Resettle
1.4
million
refugees
*
Solar
power
for
23.9
million
homes.
Peace organizations, the international community and some courageous members of Congress are calling for a ceasefire in Gaza [[link removed]] that would save lives and allow for negotiation of the return of Israeli hostages.
That’s a far better path than spending billions to support the Israel government’s assault on Palestinians – especially when those same dollars could be used to fund life.
In solidarity,
Lindsay, Ashik, Alliyah, & the NPP team
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TRADEOFF: MORE WAR VS. HOUSING
The White House is requesting $105 billion in new funding [[link removed]] mainly for military support for Israel and Ukraine, border militarization through ICE and CBP — and more new wars not yet begun.
That includes an extra $58 billion for the Pentagon—on top of the $886 billion Pentagon budget already proposed, one of the largest annual military budgets in U.S. history.
That could instead house 6 million families in public housing units. It’s time to invest less in war and more in life.
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BY THE NUMBERS:
THE PEOPLE CALL FOR A CEASEFIRE
The call for a ceasefire in Gaza is echoing across the nation!
“No more weapons. No more war. Ceasefire is what we’re fighting for,” thousands chanted [[link removed]] in NYC’s Grand Central Station on October 27. Organized by Jewish Voice for Peace [[link removed]] , around 2,000 people gathered to demand a ceasefire in this iconic transit hub — with 500 people engaged in civil disobedience and 350 people arrested.
A week before this NYC action, IfNotNow [[link removed]] joined Jewish Voice for Peace with 10,000 gathered inside and outside the U.S. Capitol building, resulting in 500 people arrested [[link removed]] . And this past week at a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing, a handful of advocates were similarly arrested after urging a ceasefire and opposing U.S. funding [[link removed]] for more militarism.
That’s not all. Tomorrow, tens of thousands are expected to fill Freedom Plaza and the streets of Washington for what may be a historic national march in Washington voicing the same demand. You guessed it: Ceasefire Now!
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MORE MONEY FOR BORDER MILITARISM
The White House’s request for an extra $7.8 billion for ICE and CBP would amount to a whopping 30% increase for these infamously abusive agencies.
$7.8 billion could safely resettle 1.4 million refugees per year in the U.S. as war, climate change, and more factors are forcing families out of their home countries. It’s time to invest less in war and more in life.
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"It's actually pretty simple. It's being complicated by those who oppose it, which includes much of the U.S. government, unfortunately. There is a desperate need to stop the killing. And that means a ceasefire."
— Phyllis Bennis, IPS New Internationalism Director [[link removed]]
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RECOMMENDED LINKS
Don’t Silence Palestinian Voices [[link removed]]
Sarah Gertler, OtherWords
A Series of Ups and Downs for Immigrants in the U.S. [[link removed]]
Alliyah Lusuegro, National Priorities Project Blog
As Biden Ramps Up Aid to Israel, Time to Defund the Military? [[link removed]]
Interview with Sonali Kolhatkar and Lindsay Koshgarian, Rising Up With Sonali
US Urged to Not Give Israel Any More Weapons for War Crimes in Gaza [[link removed]]
Jessica Corbett, Common Dreams
We Need an Immediate Ceasefire in Gaza [[link removed]]
Phyllis Bennis, OtherWords
Both Israelis and Palestinians Are Victims of Israel’s Apartheid System [[link removed]]
Phyllis Bennis, Foreign Policy in Focus
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