ISRAEL DOES NOT CARE ABOUT THE HOSTAGES

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8/4 Petition to Biden & U.S. Congress

How many days just in the last 6 weeks has it been that I’ve written to you telling you Israel has bombed another school housing refugees, refugee tent encampment, or hospital? Today, it was a refugee tent encampment in the yard of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir el-Balah only hours after an airstrike on a school housing refugees in Gaza City. This indiscriminate destruction of Gaza has not only murdered close to 200,000 Palestinians, it’s cost the lives of some Israeli hostages, and endangered the safety and wellbeing of those still alive.

I don’t buy the story that Biden just now “realized” that Netanyahu was lying about the hostages. Biden, Blinken, and Lloyd, as well as many other high ranking officials in this administration have been genocide-apologists denying the facts of what we’ve been witnessing in real time since 10/7. Overwhelmingly, the high-ranking officials, policy-makers, and decision-makers in Israel’s government have made it clear both directly and indirectly they are willing to sacrifice the lives of the Israeli hostages in Gaza for “total victory over Hamas”. We can call their government “far-right” all we want, but if the majority of the country supports those actions isn’t their “far-right” just dead center of their political spectrum?

Even shortly after 10/7, Israel has refused multiple hostage exchange and ceasefire deals. Hamas wanted to release hostages Nourit Yitshaq and Yokhefed Lifshitz for humanitarian reasons, and did not want anything in return in late October. Israel refused to accept them. Israel called it propaganda at the time, as I’m sure they still do now – but looking back at everything that’s happened since it should be given more credence given Israel’s overall indifference towards their hostages. Israeli journalist Yuval Abraham reported in mid December how the military decided their hostages were not a priority, and their safety was disregarded for the indiscriminate bombardment of the entirety of Gaza that we’ve witnessed since 10/7. Israel’s government has not just indirectly shown their ambivalence, but have said it directly. In February Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said that securing the return of the hostages was “not the most important thing” but that “destroying Hamas” was their primary goal.

I demand that you:

– Hold Israel accountable for a permanent, immediate ceasefire, their violations of the Genocide Convention, and gross human rights violations by any means necessary

– Secure the immediate release and safety of all Palestinians who have been abducted and held captive by Israel, including those whose indefinite detention began prior to 10/7

– Permanently end all monetary, diplomatic, and military aid given to Israel and enforce Leahy Law

– Immediately withdraw all U.S. troops, military assets, and all other assets deployed throughout the Middle East and cease all actions that further escalate a larger regional conflict

SOURCES

Al Jazeera 8/4 Live Updates

Al Jazeera “Israeli attack on school in Gaza kills at least 15 people“

Haaretz “Analysis | Netanyahu’s Clear Message to Israelis: Abandoning the Hostages Is in the National Interest“

WRAL News “Israelis fear for hostages as Netanyahu celebrates ‘crushing blows’ against enemies“

Haaretz “Opinion | Why Israel’s New Nationalistic Judaism Doesn’t Care About the Hostages in Gaza“

The Times of Israel “Negotiators say Netanyahu has ‘cold indifference’ to the fate of the hostages“

Al Jazeera “Hamas says Israel refused to receive 2 hostages; Israel calls it propaganda“

The Times of Israel “‘No doubt’ Netanyahu preventing hostage deal, charges ex-spokesman of Families Forum“

Time “‘Netanyahu is the Problem.’ Why Tens of Thousands Are Protesting in Israel“

NBC News “Netanyahu won’t agree to hostage release deal unless it polls well for him, Israeli families say they were told“

CBS News “100 days into the Israel-Hamas war, family of an Israeli hostage says “they forgot about us”“