[1]Pramila Jayapal

John — this
weekend, [ [link removed] ]I discussed the crisis that has been unfolding in Israel and
Gaza with Jen Psaki, and I wanted to send you a note directly to talk
about why I believe there must be a ceasefire to save innocent lives.

It’s important, first and foremost, to unequivocally condemn the horrific
terrorist attack by Hamas on Israel, in which they killed 1,400 Israelis,
took hundreds of hostages, and are currently using civilians as human
shields. There must be an immediate release of all hostages, and I am
deeply grateful for the negotiators who have secured the release of a few
hostages already.

There is no doubt that Israel has the right to defend itself but, as
President Biden has said, Israel must also follow the laws of war—what is
also known as international humanitarian law. 

That is why, as the violence in Gaza increased and innocent Palestinians
were denied food, water, fuel, and humanitarian aid, I called for an
immediate ceasefire or at a minimum a cessation of hostilities and
reiterated my call for Israel to follow international humanitarian law.

Unfortunately, these Israeli air strikes have only intensified. Since
October 7, the death toll in Gaza has risen to at least 10,000. In the
first weeks of this conflict, more than 60% of those killed in Gaza were
women and children, according to the UN.

This violence must stop. [ [link removed] ]If you agree, sign our petition supporting an
immediate cessation of hostilities.

As the largest backer of military aid to Israel, the United States has a
particular responsibility in this conflict. We cannot legitimately call
for Israel to follow international humanitarian law and then stand by as
thousands of innocent Palestinians die from Israeli air strikes. 

I want to be very clear that international humanitarian law does not rely
on whether the beginning of an armed conflict was legitimate or not.
Rather, it regulates the behavior of all parties once conflict has
started—regardless of the justification or lack thereof. It requires the
protection of innocent civilians and limits the means and methods of
warfare so that those civilians are not part of what is called “collective
punishment.” 

You may have heard the term “collective punishment” in the past few weeks,
so I want to explain what that is. Collective punishment is prohibited
under the Geneva Conventions and essentially says that innocent civilian
populations may not be punished for an offense that they have not
personally committed. These “laws of war” are designed specifically to
give us moral clarity and a clear path of purpose in the times when it is
most difficult to see clearly.  

When Russia attacked Ukraine’s infrastructure and tried to starve
Ukrainians of food, water, and fuel, our country rightly called this a war
crime. In fact, as recently as August, Secretary of State Blinken urged
the UN Security Council to take further steps on a resolution that
emphasizes intentional starvation of civilians may constitute a war
crime. 

Today, Israel continues to put enormous restrictions on the entry of
humanitarian aid, denying fuel into Gaza which is desperately needed for
hospitals to continue their operation, and even forcing six to shut down
completely. Water has been turned off multiple times, forcing many
Palestinians to resort to groundwater and sewer water which has caused
disease outbreaks and massive humanitarian concerns. Meanwhile, Israel has
told over 1 million Palestinians in north Gaza to move to the South, and
then continued to bomb in the South. Many elderly, wounded, and children
have been unable to leave the North, even if they wanted to.  

We also cannot forget that there are still hundreds of American citizens
and their families who are trapped in Gaza and have been unable to get
out.  Many of those citizens are questioning—rightly, in my
opinion—whether the United States has prioritized our own citizens’ lives
in not doing everything in our power to stop the bombings of Gaza.

Finally, we must do everything in our power to prevent escalating tensions
in the region from growing into an even greater geopolitical crisis after
last month’s horrific attacks.

I do not think there are any easy answers. But what I do know is that, in
the words of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., violence multiplies evil
instead of diminishing it. 

[ [link removed] ]You can watch my interview with Jen Psaki this weekend here, where I
talked more about this issue.

The UN Secretary-General has called for a ceasefire, along with several
Arab States. The United States must follow suit and use our power, our
leverage, and our collective will to call for a ceasefire or at minimum, a
cessation of hostilities. We must hold our own partners—especially those
whose military we fund—accountable to international humanitarian law.

We must elevate the calling of the very international institutions that
President Biden skillfully and necessarily rebuilt after they were torn
down by the previous president. We must insist on humanitarian aid,
including food, water and fuel, being delivered to trusted partners to
save innocent lives. We must reassert our moral authority and leadership
in the world by being consistent about the application of international
humanitarian law, even in the worst of circumstances such as this
terrorist attack, and with our closest allies.

We need everyone’s voice at this moment—without violence or revenge, with
compassion for both innocent Israelis and Palestinians, and with moral
clarity of purpose. [ [link removed] ]If you would like to add your voice to this effort,
sign our petition here.

This is a vital, crucial moment for our country to lead with courage and
compassion. Millions of innocent lives are at stake.

Thank you, 

Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal


 


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