Friend,

Thank you.

Over the past two weeks, you have rallied around me and our calls to end the occupation and violence against the Palestinian people.

Combined, more than 130,000 people have taken action calling for an end of the forced displacement of Palestinians from East Jerusalem and demanding the Biden administration hold Israel’s apartheid government accountable.

You have been critical in making sure the world does not look away in the face of continued oppression, as the Israeli government bombed and killed hundreds of Palestinians, including dozens of children.

For me, this is very personal. As the only Palestinian American currently serving in Congress, I am a daily reminder to my colleagues that the Palestinian people exist, that we are human, and that we are allowed to dream.  

When visiting Palestine, I have been through checkpoints with my grandmother in the occupied West Bank as the Israeli forces interrogated her, simply for trying to seek services such as healthcare.

Me at 18 years old with my Palestinian grandmother visiting the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

There is much more work to do to end the occupation and the violence against the Palestinian people. I will continue to keep you updated on what we can do together to defend the human rights of Palestinians and all people.

If you missed it over the weekend, we’re raising money for two important nonprofits that are doing critical work for Palestinians’ rights and freedom.

The Institute for Middle East Understanding (IMEU) is making sure that we keep hearing directly from Palestinians on the ground about their experiences and needs. I’ve relied on the IMEU’s online sharing of videos, photos, and stories—and U.S. and European journalists rely on them, too.

Baitulmaal, a U.S.-based international humanitarian relief agency, is distributing emergency food and water supplies in Gaza right now—having already refilled Gaza water tanks and delivered 224,000 meals to Gaza residents.

We’ve already raised more than $30,000 for these important nonprofits. If you haven’t already, please consider a donation at this time.

Thank you for all that you do for our movement for human rights, at home and abroad.

-Rashida