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This must-see video of CODEPINK co-founder Medea Benjamin confronting Senator Marco Rubio about the genocide in Gaza is going viral again — and for good reason. As President Biden’s term comes to a close, and a Donald Trump White House approaches with Senator Marco Rubio poised to become our next Secretary of State, the stakes for U.S. foreign policy have never been higher. Rubio’s hubris in blaming Hamas for Israel’s brutal genocide campaign in Gaza exemplifies his foreign policy: callous, reckless, and devoid of diplomacy. We know what this kind of approach means for Cuba, Palestine and beyond. We must act before it's too late. We, Michelle, a Latin American advocate, and Nour, a Palestinian activist, have seen the devastating impact of U.S. policies firsthand. In Latin America, U.S.-backed coups and sanctions have impoverished communities, while in Palestine, the U.S.-backed genocide and occupation have claimed countless lives. These policies perpetuate cycles of violence and suffering, impacting millions. As sisters in this struggle, we believe President Biden must take bold action to break this cycle before his term ends. The least he can do to counter his legacy as “Genocider in Chief” is to put up the safeguards now to prevent further devastation and set the course towards peace and accountability. Sen. Rubio has received over $1 million from pro-Israel lobby groups like AIPAC, making him nothing but a staunch mouthpiece for Israel in Congress. He sponsored the Combating BDS Act, a bill that empowers state and local governments to penalize those who boycott Israel, stifling free speech and suppressing legitimate criticism of a country committing genocide. Rubio has attempted to discredit CODEPINK's own near-daily protests in congress by calling Palestine a “joke” and “a state that’s never existed.” He claims that undermining Israel is a “threat to U.S. national security,” in order to justify openly aligning himself with policies that perpetuate violence and repression. We've witnessed how unwavering allegiance to Israel has dragged the U.S. into committing genocide. Now, Sen. Rubio's unfiltered support for these policies risks pulling the U.S. deeper down the hole of fascism while escalating the existential threat to Palestinian existence. 👉 Tell Biden to act NOW or risk cementing the U.S.’s trajectory towards fascism! Rubio’s hardline policies have also inflicted severe harm on Cuban families, promoted migration, and fueled regional instability. In 2021, the Trump administration labeled Cuba a state sponsor of terror for refusing to extradite Colombia National Liberation Army (ELN) leaders, even though Cuba was merely adhering to the Peace Accords. Colombia’s president Gustavo Petro later rescinded the extradition request, yet Biden keeps Cuba on the list. Sen. Rubio has proudly championed the Trump administration’s “maximum pressure” campaign against Cuba which closed the U.S. Embassy in Havana, severely restricted travel and remittances, created the State Department’s Restricted Entities List, and designated Cuba as a State Sponsor of Terrorism (SSOT). These policies have crippled Cuba’s economy, disrupted remittance flows, harmed Cuban families and small businesses, exacerbated the largest wave of Cuban migration in history, and ignored the will of most Americans who favor diplomacy over isolation. The responsibility for removing Cuba from the SSOT list lies squarely on President Biden. The process requires only 45 days and swift action is necessary to ensure this unjust designation is reversed. We aren’t just worried about Palestine and Cuba, either — war destroys the earth and puts our entire planet at risk. From supporting brutal sanctions on Venezuela and Iran, to demonizing China, to intimidating protestors here in the U.S., all while being bought-out by the pro-Israel lobby and the weapons industry — Sen. Rubio will only drive us further down the anti-diplomacy path Secretary of State Antony Blinken has carved. This is Biden’s last chance to set us on the proper course towards peace and a healthy planet. It’s up to us to apply the necessary pressure to make it happen. Let’s do it for Cuba, for Palestine, and for the entire world! As a hawkish administration takes power in January, with Marco Rubio spearheading its international agenda, our mission to promote peace, justice, and solidarity has never been more urgent. Sign the petition to President Biden now! 👉 In case you missed it:
Until Liberation, Michelle, Nour and the entire CODEPINK team PS: Visit Cuba Now Before Travel Becomes Uncertain. Register before December 6, 2024!
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