Dear John, 

Everyone deserves to live in safety and peace and to have their rights respected. Right now in Palestine that is not the case.

 

The Israeli military attacks on Gaza in recent days have killed at least 119 Palestinians, including 31 children. Over 800 Palestinians in Gaza have been injured by Israeli bombings. Rocket fire from Gaza has killed eight Israelis, including one child. Immediate action is needed to end this violence. Take action today to ask your members of Congress to urge an end to these attacks.

The violence in Gaza comes after a month of increasing violence against Palestinians in Jerusalem. Over the last several weeks Palestinians experienced attacks on worshipers in Al-Aqsa mosque, the destruction of Palestinian homes and threats of forced displacement of Palestinians in Sheikh Jarrah, restrictions on access to Jerusalem for prayers, settler violence in the West Bank, and more. These actions, which occurred during the month of Ramadan, raised tensions and directly led to this bombing and rocket fire.  

 

The attacks are a further crisis for people living uder a 14-year blockade which impacts every aspect of life. 

Gaza is home to 2 million Palestinians, more than half of whom are children. If Israeli military attacks continue, it is likely that hundreds will be killed, tens of thousands will be made homeless, and the already dire humanitarian situation in Gaza will further deteriorate. After 14 years of blockade and repeated Israeli attacks on Gaza, it should be clear that militarism will not bring change. 

 

To stop violence, Israel must change it's policy and end its blockade. Take action now to join people around the world demanding these changes.

 

Military escalation and violence will do nothing to make either Palestinian or Israeli cilivians safer in the short or long term. Rather, they will increase suffering. 

 

The U.S. and international community cannot sit by and allow this tragedy to get worse. 

 

The U.S. government has a particular responsibility to ensure that the nearly $4 billion it provides to Israel annually in military assistance is not abused. The only way to truly end the violence is to end the occupation, respect international law, and ensure equal rights for all.

 

Take action and tell your Congressperson to support these changes. The current situation cannot be allowed to continue. Join us in calling for an end to these attacks and for justice in Palestine. 

In peace,

Mike Merryman-Lotze, AFSC 

Middle East Program Director