Friends, we have some momentum and we need your help NOW. Please call your Member of Congress. Tell them to stop the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and ensure the safe return of Israeli hostages.
War crimes don’t justify war crimes. Darkness doesn’t drive out darkness. This is how we got here. Not how we get out.
As the situation across the region, especially in Gaza and the West Bank, continues to deteriorate, we know the power of the American government in the region.
The US has given more than $3.8 billion in military aid to Israel each year for nearly a decade. After October 7th, President Biden requested an additional $14.3 billion. That investment means the US has an obligation to use the influence this brings to press for an alternative path and the protection of innocent civilian life.
With the estimated number of Palestinian deaths now numbering over 20,000, the fantasy that this is making Israelis, or anyone, any safer or more secure is finally starting to be discussed in Washington. The pause between November 24 and December 1, and the release of over 100 Israeli hostages and over 250 incarcerated Palestinians, shows a different path is available.
Despite the power to make it stop, most US politicians have continued to invest in the very same strategies that brought us here. Here’s the truth: these strategies have not, and will not, keep any of us safe.
Yet, in the midst of all of this, mass advocacy is having an effect. Every call. Every protest. Every social media post.
Each of you is making a difference.
Don’t let our government continue to green light atrocity without making your voice heard. Ask them to call for restraint, a permanent ceasefire, the release of all hostages, and the movement of humanitarian aid into Gaza.
Here’s What To Do
Urge your member of Congress to pressure for an ongoing ceasefire now.
Remember: Don’t be intimidated. It’s our job in a democracy to inform our leaders, and their job to listen and represent us.
I am calling you to push for a permanent ceasefire in Israel and Gaza today. [for Members of the House of Representatives: by signing on to H. Res 786].
The Hamas attacks were horrific. We must do everything to get all of the Israeli hostages home safe and alive. Israel has a right to defend itself from Hamas. But the mass deaths and horrific destruction occurring in Gaza are not the answer. Violence is how we got here, not how we get out.
Israel does not have the right to indiscriminately retaliate against the millions of civilians in Gaza. International law and the rules of war prohibit collective punishment in any form. Today’s actions will cause massive harm and make everyone less safe, including all of our Israeli and Palestinian friends.
I am asking you: Please urge a permanent ceasefire, an immediate return of all hostages, the expansion of humanitarian corridors, and an end to Israel’s indiscriminate use of force, collective punishment, and the mass transfer of civilians in Gaza. I ask that you stand for human rights and international law—not for some but for all.
I believe that is the only legitimate way the US can be a partner for peace and justice. The kind of peace where Israelis and Palestinians all have a future of freedom, dignity, security, and flourishing.
