John,

We keep hearing that there’s not enough money to cover needs like
healthcare or housing for struggling communities here at home. But
yesterday, the U.S. House of Representatives just overwhelmingly passed a
whopping $770 BILLION defense budget.

I was already planning to vote no. Then, Congressmembers brought up a
last-minute measure to give an extra $1 billion in taxpayer dollars to the
Israeli military—on top of our annual $4 billion giveaway, which is by far
the most assistance the U.S. provides to any country.

As the only Palestinian-American member of Congress, I spoke up against
the Israeli government’s decades-long occupation and systematic
mistreatment of Palestinians, calling it what it is: apartheid. But for
recognizing Palestinians’ basic humanity, I faced attacks from my
colleagues on both sides of the aisle.

Instead of condemning Israel’s human rights abuses, Democrats and
Republicans in Congress are condemning me for simply pointing out these
abuses.

[ [link removed] ]Can you chip in $5 or more now so I can keep speaking truth to power
and securing human rights, freedom, and justice for ALL people?

Chip In Now: [link removed]

In the occupied West Bank, where my grandmother lives, the Israeli
government is supporting Israeli settlements that violate international
law—displacing Palestinians from their homes through a process of ethnic
cleansing.

These Israeli settlers live in the same territory as Palestinians, but are
subject to Israeli civil law rather than military rule, use segregated
roads where Palestinians are not allowed, and have rights Palestinians
don’t, such as freedom of movement and freedom of assembly.

The Israeli government controls and often denies food, water, and health
supplies for Palestinians—who have no say in this system.

This year, U.S. and Israeli human rights groups [ [link removed] ]Human Rights Watch and
[ [link removed] ]B’Tselem confirmed what Palestinians have been saying for years: This
discriminatory treatment qualifies as apartheid.

And as this reality becomes clearer to Americans, polls show that most
Americans support treating Israelis and Palestinians as equal citizens.
Most Americans and a significant majority of Democrats support
conditioning U.S. funding of Israel’s military on whether Israel complies
with human rights law.

The taboo against questioning U.S. support for Israel’s military is
finally shifting. Now, people on social media can hear directly from
Palestinians and see what’s happening on the ground. Palestinians are
disenfranchised human beings suffering under an occupation that’s been
going on for decades.

More Americans are recognizing that Israelis and Palestinians are equal
people entitled to equal rights, and that everyone deserves safety. That’s
why there’s a growing movement to ensure that U.S. tax dollars are not
used to fund the Israeli military’s human rights abuses.

Unfortunately, people’s representatives in Congress are often out of step
with their constituents. Many are unwilling to break with the status quo
because they don’t want to take a risk, but I’m here to prove that
standing up for Palestinian human rights isn’t a risk at all—and it’s
what’s right.

Now is a crucial time to show Congress that the American people support
equality and justice for Palestinians just as they do for Israelis, and
that when you resist Israeli military human rights abuses, your
constituents and supporters will have your back.

[ [link removed] ]Our campaign has an important Federal Election Commission filing
deadline coming up at the end of this month, where we can demonstrate that
support for Palestinian human rights is growing. Can you donate $XYZ or
whatever you can afford to signal your support for me and my voice as the
only Palestinian-American in Congress?

If you've saved your payment information with ActBlue Express, your
donation will go through immediately:

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Thank you for your partnership,

Rashida






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