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Unlike the repeated and long proven lie of 40 beheaded babies on 10/7, I will never be able to get the images out of my head of the baby that was decaptiated in Israel’s recent massacre in Rafah. I wish it were the only one – back in April the descreated Palestinian bodies were buried in mass graves at Al-Shifa and Nasser hospitals. The bodies, which includes children and babies, were mutilated – skinned, beheaded, missing organs. Descriptions of the massacre are heartbreaking – Gazan dentist Abu Salah describes how there are no pain relievers or other medical supplies to treat the extensive casualities and burn victims. Bodies are found scattered, dismembered by the force of the bombs targeted on a tent refugee camp. People were burned alive. The description of a woman carrying the ashes of her 6 children in the palm of her hand, shell-shocked and consumed with grief. Approximlately 45 have been murdered that have been identified so far. Israel murdered an additional 160 that day after bombing other refugee camps in Jabalia, Nuseirat and Gaza City.
The Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Hospital is in danger of a complete shut down, again, due to Israel blocking a delivery of fuel to keep the generators running. 1,200 patients are relying on the hospital’s services. 600 are kidney failure patients who require dialysis machines in order to survive. There are 20 NICU babies at risk of imminent death if power to their incubators fails. Before the small delivery of fuel that’s kept some of the hospital’s electricity going, the difficult decision to cut power to the entire hospital except the NICU had to be made. Doctors were wrapping babies in blankets and trying to keep them warm with their hands. All patients, including the many child casualties, received treatment by the light of cellphones. The hospital has advised they need 50,000 litres of fuel in order to continue to operate for at least 10 days.
Elsewhere in occupied Palestine, settler colonial terrorists hung by a noose a child-size doll dressed in a kufiya inside a synagogue and celebrated it. Israeli forces destroyed several Palestinian shops in Hizma, in occupied Jersualem. This didn’t stop there – they even destroyed barns for sheep and livestock. The entirety of Palestine is being terrorized. This administration fully has the power to stop this immediately, but you’ve chosen instead to deepen your complicity and participation in genocide.
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
– Call for the immediate end of Israel’s occupation and apartheid and support Palestinians in their fight for freedom and peace
– 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
Telegram* sources may contain graphic content, viewer discretion is advised.
*Why are you citing reports shared on Telegram?
While Telegram channels on their own are not necessarily credible news reporting, I have found the work Praxis Redacted has done consolidating both official news sources and unofficial citizen reporting (before it becomes breaking news) to be credible, accurate, and substantiated hours or sometimes days later by mainstream news.
Since mid-October when I began following the news about the genocide (and Praxis Redacted), I have not found an incident where sources cited or descriptions used were later proved to be false. I have every reason to believe the events cited below are true.
Most Telegram posts I link will be from Praxis Redacted, but those that are not will be labeled. All of the same disclaimers apply for content warnings and my belief in the credibility of the channels cited. This is a saved text template used across posts, it’s possible no sources outside of Praxis Redacted will be used or that only other channels are cited in this petition. It is also possible that other social media posts will be cited from other platforms, and if so, they will be noted.
Resistbot is part of a 501(c)(4) social welfare organization that allows Americans to send letters to government officials using SMS, Telegram, Messenger, and other popular chat apps. Anyone can use it, and you can write & send your own letters without making petitions. You can learn more on their official website: https://resist.bot/
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I haven’t forgotten the leaked “concept paper” where Israel outlined exactly what they are doing now back in October. Every moment of this systematic genocidal ethnical cleansing campaign is going exactly the way they planned. They have pushed most of the population of Gaza to the Rafah border and are now working to push whoever is still alive after the ongoing, vicious assault on the most densely populated part of the world into the Sinai desert. The next step is to murder as many Palestinians as possible, and then blockade them from ever being able to return so that colonists can begin taking over the land. The Israeli government and their own people have explicitly stated this since October.
The illegal occupier you support without question isn’t just terrorizing the Gaza strip. Credible reports from UN Human Rights experts were released yesterday detailing the sexual violence and torture the Palestinian women and children are subjected to inside of the death camps “prison” they’ve been indefinitely detained into. Save The Children’s 2023 report on the conditions for children, which pre-dates 10/7, goes into more detail about these horrifying conditions. Israel’s recent extra-judicial murder of several Palestinians in their hospital beds in the West Bank shows how this violence doesn’t end at the death camps, either. All of occupied-Palestine is the largest concentration camp in the world.
I know you know all of this, and you still do nothing. You have proven to the American people you truly have no soul or humanity. I fear for the future of this country knowing we have terrorist supporters and genocide apologists in power.
I demand that you:
– Call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire
– Call for the immediate end of Israel’s occupation and apartheid and support Palestinians in their fight for freedom and peace
– Hold Israel accountable for their violations of the Genocide Convention and all other international laws 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
– Reallocate all funds given to Israel and commit additional resources for ongoing humanitarian relief for Palestinians starting with immediately resume funding of UNRWA
– 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
– Pass legislation that voids all anti-BDS laws at the federal level
SOURCES
UNICEF MENA 2/19 Post on X @UNICEFmena advising Rafah is one of the most densely populated places on Earth
Resistbot is part of a 501(c)(4) social welfare organization that allows Americans to send letters to government officials using SMS, Telegram, Messenger, and other popular chat apps. Anyone can use it, and you can write & send your own letters without making petitions. You can learn more on their official website: https://resist.bot/
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The evidence for Israel’s genocide has only grown every single day. You’re clearly looking away on purpose at this point. Amnesty International’s recent investigation into 4 Israeli airstrikes from December to January in Rafah specifically, showed that there were no legitimate military targets or indication that these residential buildings could be mistaken for one. One of those murdered was an infant girl who wasn’t even 3 weeks old yet. This was an intentional massacre of families and these massacres have not stopped. Israeli violence has only intensified. The UN relief chief has warned that allowing the continued ground invasion and assault on Rafah will be catastrophic and lead to massacres. It will be beyond anything we have seen so far in this genocide.
The Nasser Hospital, which was the second largest in Gaza, is now completely out of service after Israel’s brutal siege and intentional bombardment and destruction. The critically ill and immobile patients could not be evacuated – Israel released a large number of police dogs into the hospital. They forced medical staff to strip and laughed and demeaned them. These are the same kinds of police dogs that horrifically mauled a child in Ramallah early January of this year, who was held hostage in Israeli death camps, “military prisons”. Israeli forces intentionally sicced the dog on the child.
Several days before these evil terrorist acts, Israel forced one of the men they’ve abducted and held hostage, still in chains, to go into the hospital to tell people to leave because it was going to be bombed. He was dressed in white PPE, and clearly stood out from the rest of the people in the area. After he did as instructed and was leaving the hospital, Israeli snipers intentionally murdered him. This is all on camera.
Meanwhile, toddlers face multiple amputations without anesthesia or pain medicine after their families have been murdered, like Hoor Nusseir who isn’t even 2 years old yet. Where are children like Hoor supposed to go for safety and desperately needed medical care and rehab for their permanently disabling injuries?
I demand that you:
– Call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire
– Hold Israel accountable for their violations of the Genocide Convention and all other international laws 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
– Reallocate all funds given to Israel and commit additional resources for ongoing humanitarian relief for Palestinians starting with immediately resume funding of UNRWA
– Pass legislation that voids all anti-BDS laws at the federal level
Resistbot is part of a 501(c)(4) social welfare organization that allows Americans to send letters to government officials using SMS, Telegram, Messenger, and other popular chat apps. Anyone can use it, and you can write & send your own letters without making petitions. You can learn more on their official website: https://resist.bot/
To use resistbot, text via SMS (50409), or text by adding resistbot on Telegram/Messenger: – FOLLOW WATERMELON to get notified for all new letters to sign – GO WATERMELON to get a list of active letters to sign – SIGN CODE* to sign an open petition. *substitute code for a petititon code
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As of 2/3, approximately 27,200 – 35,000 Palestinians have been murdered in Gaza since 10/7 by Israel. Approximately 13,642 are children. Taking figures from the same source, Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor, about 40% of those murdered are CHILDREN. Take that in for a minute. Figures from back in October & November from multiple NGOs and IGOs, including Save The Children, already proved that the number of children murdered had already surpassed the annual number of children murdered in every other conflict since 2019. The figures we have right now ONLY include those murdered by bombardment, artillery fire, shrapnel, and crushed under the rubble by Israel’s military. We do not have the ability to know right now, due to the apocalyptic conditions on the ground, how many MORE have died due to starvation, illness, and other 100% preventable health issues caused by the direct targeting of and intentional destruction of Gaza’s healthcare system.
These horrific numbers don’t include those who have been murdered throughout the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and all other areas of occupied Palestine. We haven’t begun to discuss the thousands of children, women, and men who have been illegally abducted, tortured, and executed. I am truly terrified every single day witnessing this genocide unfold. I am disturbed by my government and every other in the world who have been funding, and participating in this. I have never known what terrorism felt like until now and it’s because of you.
I demand that you:
– Call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, the West Bank, and all areas the Israeli military is murdering or otherwise violating the human rights of Palestinians
– Secure the safe release of Mansour Shouman, a Palestinian Canadian independent journalist and humanitarian worker who was recently illegally abducted by Israel in Khan Younis on 1/23 while trying to evacuate to Rafah from the Nasser Hospital on a “safe route” as directed by Israel
– Call for the immediate end of genocide, apartheid, and occupation, and support Palestinians in their fight for freedom, peace, and their human rights
– Call for the immediate release of Palestinian “prisoners” (hostages) held captive in Israeli military prisons
– Permanently end all monetary and military aid given to Israel by correcting our budget and enforcing Leahy Law
– Reallocate all funds given to Israel to ongoing humanitarian relief for Palestinians to help them rebuild, care for the sick & injured, bury the dead with dignity, and ensure all of their basic needs are taken care of
– Repeal all federal anti-BDS laws and pass legislation that voids all state-level anti-BDS laws
– Restore my right to free speech and the freedom of the press by condemning all discrimination or harassment for criticizing any government or political ideology (including zionism) and by doing everything possible to prevent future assaults to my rights, including governmental control and/or censorship of the Internet
Estimated deaths as of 2/3/24 from multiple sources*
Al Jazeera quotes 27,238 dead as of 2/3/24. Al Jazeera always includes the most up-to-date official death tolls on their Breaking/live updates page. Because the daily live pages are refreshed so frequently for each new day, I can’t link you to a specific date. You can always check the Breaking/live section on their site for the most recent official numbers.
EuroMed Monitor quotes an estimated 35,096 total dead, 13,642 of which are children, shown on an infographic posted on their Instagram (link to post) as of 2/3/24. Their website has past infographics, but does not currently have this newest one included as of writing this blog post. This is not unusual- I believe they first post on social media and then add to the infographic section of their site later. Prior infographics posted on Instagram and then shown on their site have the exact same figures & data.
*Why are multiple sources used for the death count?
The situation in Gaza has only gotten worse since the AP published this article on 11/21. The official numbers we are seeing from Gaza’s Ministry of Health are undercounted, and have been since at least 11/21.
EuroMed Monitor is a NGO established in 2011 that advocates for the human rights of all persons across Europe and the MENA region. They have a regional office in the Palestinian Occupied Territories. I believe their estimates are credible which is why I quote them, and will continue to, when referring to the estimated death toll.
My personal opinion is that the true number is even higher than estimated- people are dying from starvation, thirst, infections, and illnesses. Even if the genocide ended this moment, these types of deaths will unfortunately continue for some time. I believe their deaths should be counted. They may not have been shot/bombed/etc. by the Israeli military, but their deaths are directly attributable to the total siege, occupation, and intentional** destruction of civilian, water, waste management, and medical infrastructure by Israel.
**Why are you accusing Israel of intentionally destroying important infrastructure and targeting civilians?
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Israel’s ethno-religious extremism knows no bounds. Both the persecution of Muslims and Christians has only risen. The persecution of Christians in Israel isn’t even as recent as the horrific massacres, raids and attacks throughout occupied-Palestine, including Bethlehem, and the brutal execution of parents in front of their children on Christmas Day this year. In 2022 Israeli settler-colonists violently seized land owned by a Christian Church in East Jerusalem, aided and protected by the Israeli police.
Christians, also in East Jerusalem, have been forced to continue camping outside their Church out of fear their house of worship will be similarly seized by Israeli settler-colonists. They were camped outside over the holidays while you and I celebrated Christmas inside with our families. They’re still outside while I’m writing to you – trying to protect the house of God. Unfortunately the Christians in Gaza couldn’t protect their Church from being destroyed by Israeli bombardment and in addition to losing their Church, several of the congregation lost their lives.
The Israeli legislature has proposed prior bills as recent as earlier this year that would criminalize Christians sharing their faith with a 1 year prison sentence. If a Christian is accused of converting a minor, they would face a 2 year prison sentence. In addition to this heinous assault on individual religious freedom, the law would make other forms of sharing the teachings of Christ through books, podcasts, or other forms of media illegal. While Netanyahu publicly reassured the world that no law would advance at the time, he isn’t in charge of the legislature. The Israeli legislature passes all laws as well as electing the prime minister. It’s clear that there are multiple voices in the Israeli legislature that want to advance their agenda of persecuting Christians.
As Pope Francis has said recently of the horrific genocide of Palestinians “we have gone beyond wars. This is not war. This is terrorism”. Christians face persecution as I’ve never seen in recent years. This is the government you wholeheartedly support and continue to supply with my tax dollars in the form of weapons to continue the genocide of Palestinians.
This is the briefest snapshot of the clear hatred and persecution Christians are facing throughout occupied-Palestine. I’ve spoken in depth to you already about my concerns of the rising hate crimes, desecration and destruction of Mosques, and Islamophobic hate against Palestinian Muslims, but it’s clear at this point you don’t really care. Maybe you can see yourself in the Palestinian Christians, and see that they are being violently persecuted by Israel, too.
You need to do everything within your power against Israel’s ethnoreligious extremism fueling the barbaric genocide of Palestinians as their ethnic cleansing campaign reaches new heights at the end of 2023. You can start by calling for a ceasefire right now.
Resistbot is part of a 501(c)(4) social welfare organization that allows Americans to send letters to government officials using SMS, Telegram, Messenger, and other popular chat apps. Anyone can use it, and you can write & send your own letters without making petitions. You can learn more on their official website: https://resist.bot/
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The evidence of the gross human rights violations Israel is committing against Palestinians, and the aiding and abetting of this genocide by my government only grows every single day. After reading through the plaintiffs’ statements from the Defense for Children International-Palestine v. Biden ongoing court case, my heart only breaks further. I’ve been right every time I’ve told you that Leahy law is being violated.
Josh Paul, a high-level, former DoS official who has a multitude of experience in the DoS as an overseer of international arms transfers and human rights abuse allegations, has made it clear that our government is failing to follow the due diligence required by our own laws, and has actively insulated Israel from accountability. Paul resigned on 10/20 because he has every reason to believe that the U.S. arms transfers to Israel would be used to commit gross human rights abuses, lead to significant civilian casualties, and the policies in place to prevent these circumstances from occurring were not being followed. In addition to Leahy law, my government is also violating the Foreign Assitance Act, Arms Export Control Act, and the Conventional Arms Transfer Policy.
Most notably, Paul describes how the Israeli government terrorized and stole evidence from an NGO reporting the heinous sexual assault of a Palestinian child by Israeli police. When the U.S. requested information from Israel on these allegations, proof of the believed credibility, the very next day Israel raided the NGO and stole their electronic devices. While horrifying, this is not new behavior. CIRIGHTS recent scoring of Israel’s compliance with human rights shows the worst possible score for allowing human rights groups to operate due to violence, shutdown of operations, and laws that block NGO access.
The statements from plaintiffs’ has been difficult to read. You should read them yourself, but here are some notable excerpts: “members and staff of Al-Haq in Gaza have been subjected to increased indiscriminate bombing and displacement…It is the first time in the 44-year history of Al-Haq, that we have been unable to conduct field investigations due to the intensity and scale of the hostilities [of Israel]”. “We are seeing enormous amounts of children with severe dehydration, febrile convulsions…. There are no oral rehydration salts in the Gaza strip”
“[my family is] just barely surviving: the most people can hope for is clean water and some food. Medications have become a luxury”. “in the U.S. I am experiencing an immense and unfathomable fear and uncertainty for my loved ones…I feel like I am experiencing an emotional genocide…I don’t sleep at night…we as a people are being subjected to a form of psychological torture.” “my taxpayer dollars are paying for the bombs being dropped on my family…my children keep asking me questions. How am I supposed to explain a genocide against their people to them?”
I demand you call for a ceasefire right now.
SOURCES
Defense for Children International-Palestine v. Biden Court Documents & Press Releases*
DEFENSE FOR CHILDREN INTERNATIONAL – PALESTINE; AL-HAQ, AHMED ABU ARTEMA; MOHAMMED AHMED ABU ROKBEH; MOHAMMAD HERZALLAH; A.N.; LAILA ELHADDAD; WAEIL ELBHASSI; BASIM ELKARRA; and DR. OMAR EL-NAJJAR Plaintiffs, v. JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States, ANTONY J. BLINKEN, Secretary of State, LLOYD JAMES AUSTIN III, Secretary of Defense, in their official capacities, Defendants
*This is not a comprehensive list court documents for this case since it was filed 11/13/23. This list will be updated as I review more documents as they become available. I am using a synced pattern in WordPress to copy & save these sources for future use, so it’s possible if you are reading this post after it was posted, there could be documents included that are dated after.
Leahy Law, WRSA-I & Israel’s Gross Human Rights Violations*
*This is not a comprehensive list of gross human rights violations committed by Israel ever, nor all since 10/7.This list will be updated as more credible information is compiled. I am using a synced pattern in WordPress to copy & save these sources for future use, so it’s possible if you are viewing this after the date of this post there could be sources included that are dated after.
U.S. Congressional Resolutions & Bills (both passed and proposed)*
*This is not meant to be an exhaustive list. In future petitions referring to legislation both proposed and passed, I will continue to update with more important resolutions and/or bills I find. This list will be updated as more credible information is compiled. I am using a synced pattern in WordPress to copy & save these sources for future use, so it’s possible if you are viewing this after the date of this post there could be sources included that are dated after.
Resistbot is part of a 501(c)(4) social welfare organization that allows Americans to send letters to government officials using SMS, Telegram, Messenger, and other popular chat apps. Anyone can use it, and you can write & send your own letters without making petitions. You can learn more on their official website: https://resist.bot/
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There is a wealth of prior and current reports supporting Israel’s repeated, gross human rights violations against Palestinians. In an interview with Al Jazeera on 12/27, international lawyer Toby Cadman has advised there is credible, and mounting evidence that Israel is committing war crimes.
CIRIGHTS recent scoring for every internationally recognized human right across every country in the world, reveals Israel’s failing 40% grade. Key findings for this gradation show that Israel places restrictions on the freedoms of speech and of the press. They have the worst possible score for allowing human rights groups to operate by making it nearly impossible due to violence, shutdown of operations, and laws that block NGO access to help vulnerable people. Israel has also demonstrated what the report calls “brutality-based mass atrocities”. Given the proven suppression of information and NGO access to properly investigate gross human rights violations, I personally believe their failing 40% grade is too high.
Israeli-led NGOs like the Public Committee Against Torture in Israel (PCATI) and B’Tselem, the Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories, have consistently reported on, provided credible evidence of, and corroborated reports from other human rights organizations showing the clear pattern of gross human rights violations by the state of Israel against Palestinians.
As of 12/27, approximately 21,100 – 29,100 Palestinians have been murdered since 10/7 in the Gaza strip. Throughout the recent iteration of this genocide, my government has continued to supply Israel weapons from the WRSA-I, as well as propose legislation that would secure further funding of, military training and material support for, and diplomatic cover to legitimize the actions of Israel. This is in direct violation of our own laws. I implore you to respect the rule of law in our country and enforce Leahy law.
Anything less than an immediate, permanent ceasefire with unrestricted humanitarian aid into the Gaza strip is unconscionable. You need to step up and show the American people you stand on the right side of history. Come 2024 elections, I and so many others will remember what you’ve done now. I will never vote for genocide-apologists and supporters ever again.
*Cited from Al Jazeera’s 12/27 Live Updates page, in my experience when a new day refreshes the current feed is closed. I will do my best to remember to locate the permanent citation for this interview and update this post.
Leahy Law, WRSA-I & Israel’s Gross Human Rights Violations*
*This is not a comprehensive list of gross human rights violations committed by Israel ever, nor all since 10/7.This list will be updated as more credible information is compiled. I am using a synced pattern in WordPress to copy & save these sources for future use, so it’s possible if you are viewing this after the date of this post there could be sources included that are dated after.
U.S. Congressional Resolutions & Bills (both passed and proposed)*
*This is not meant to be an exhaustive list. In future petitions referring to legislation both proposed and passed, I will continue to update with more important resolutions and/or bills I find. This list will be updated as more credible information is compiled. I am using a synced pattern in WordPress to copy & save these sources for future use, so it’s possible if you are viewing this after the date of this post there could be sources included that are dated after.
Estimated deaths as of 12/27 from multiple sources*
Al Jazeera quotes 21,110 dead as of 12/27. Al Jazeera always includes the most up-to-date official death tolls on their Breaking/live updates page. Because the daily live pages are refreshed so frequently for each new day, I can’t link you to a specific date. You can always check the Breaking/live section on their site for the most recent official numbers.
EuroMed Monitor quotes an estimated 29,124 dead shown on an infographic posted on their Instagram (link to post) as of 12/27. Their website has past infographics, but does not currently have this newest one included as of writing this blog post. This is not unusual- I believe they first post on social media and then add to the infographic section of their site later. Prior infographics posted on Instagram and then shown on their site have the exact same figures & data.
*Why are multiple sources used for the death count?
The situation in Gaza has only gotten worse since the AP published this article on 11/21. The official numbers we are seeing from Gaza’s Ministry of Health are undercounted, and have been since at least 11/21.
EuroMed Monitor is a NGO established in 2011 that advocates for the human rights of all persons across Europe and the MENA region. They have a regional office in the Palestinian Occupied Territories. I believe their estimates are credible which is why I quote them, and will continue to, when referring to the estimated death toll.
My personal opinion is that the true number is even higher than estimated- people are dying from starvation, thirst, infections, and illnesses. Even if the genocide ended this moment, these types of deaths will unfortunately continue for some time. I believe their deaths should be counted. They may not have been shot/bombed/etc. by the Israeli military, but their deaths are directly attributable to the total siege, occupation, and intentional** destruction of civilian, water, waste management, and medical infrastructure by Israel.
**Why are you accusing Israel of intentionally destroying important infrastructure and targeting civilians?
Resistbot is part of a 501(c)(4) social welfare organization that allows Americans to send letters to government officials using SMS, Telegram, Messenger, and other popular chat apps. Anyone can use it, and you can write & send your own letters without making petitions. You can learn more on their official website: https://resist.bot/
To use resistbot, text via SMS (50409), or text by adding resistbot on Telegram/Messenger: – FOLLOW WATERMELON to get notified for all new letters to sign – GO WATERMELON to get a list of active letters to sign – SIGN CODE* to sign an open petition. *substitute code for a petititon code
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Israel’s aggression against all Palestinians is rising. On Christmas Day, multiple locations in the West Bank were targeted, including Bethlehem. On the day and the place Christ was born, Palestinians were detained in mass, fired upon, and otherwise terrorized. In Burqa, a teenage boy was shot in the neck by the IDF, leading to severe injury. Israeli hostility is accelerating in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and all other areas of occupied Palestine. This looks exactly how the siege and mass murder of the Gaza Strip began, but now add the settler-colonists’ armed violence in addition to the IDF’s.
I can’t help but think about the brutal executions of Basil Suleiman Abu al-Wafa, a young teenage boy, and Adam Samer al-Ghoul, a boy of only 8, who were both murdered the day after Thanksgiving. Basil was shot in the chest and survived long enough to die at the hospital. His family described him as a studious child focused on school and enjoying simple times with his friends. Adam, the youngest, was shot in the head and died at the scene. The children were playing in the street together before the attack. Their final moments were captured on video. How many Palestinian children have met a similar fate from Thanksgiving to Christmas?
Imposing visa bans on extremist Israeli settler-colonists, and delaying assault rifle sales to Israel in response to the violence committed against Palestinians in the West Bank has been one small step in the right direction. The truth is, however, it’s all extreme. Colonization is inherently violent. Losing your home, livelihood, and safety has lasting repercussions for future generations. You don’t have to lose your life to suffer gravely from the violence. Biden’s remarks that “those committing the violence must be held accountable” in the West Bank. Nothing has been done to hold anyone committing violence against Palestinians accountable. On Christmas Eve, Netanyahu approved a $21m initiative to further colonize the occupied West Bank.
Both Netanyahu and his National Security Minister Ben-Gvir have increased armaments of Israeli settler-colonists since October. Ben-Gvir, a convicted terrorist, has been working closely with Israeli extremist Dagan to raise money for these weapons. Dagan is the leader of efforts to annul the law that has protected Gaza from recolonization. He has already successfully led similar efforts which led to the recolonization of northern Samaria.
This holiday season, my country has given me the blood of children in exchange for my tax dollars. You have failed at every level to uphold the values of life, liberty, and prosperity for all. You have consistently undermined all efforts to stop the genocide of Palestinians. From where I’m sitting, I see no difference between people like Ben-Gvir, Dagan, and Netanyahu from you. You’ve consistently replied to my letters every day you unequivocally stand with the actions of Israel.
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12/24 Petition to Biden & U.S. Congress Like Pope Francis, I too, “continue to receive very grave and painful news from Gaza”. I also agree with his words that “we have gone beyond wars. This is not war. This is terrorism.” Just a little over 43 miles away from Bethlehem, the Gaza strip remains besieged, and the Palestinians trapped there face apocalyptic conditions. Only 6 miles away from Bethlehem, Christians in East Jerusalem have had to camp in the quarter belonging to their church to try and stop Israeli settlers and developers from seizing more of their land. Israel’s reign of terror falls on Palestinian Muslims and Christians alike – this is what ethnic cleansing looks like.
In the birthplace of Christ, Rev. Dr. Munther Isaac shares the terrible truth, “If Jesus was born today, he’d be born under the rubble of Gaza.” From his pulpit in Bethlehem the reverend asks for those of us celebrating Christmas to “lift a prayer for us, for justice. And I hope they work and act to end the system of occupation and apartheid.”
Like Rev. Dr. Munther Isaac, I too “see the image of Jesus in every child that is killed in Gaza.” From Father Rami Askarieh, also in Bethlehem, I too, mourn that “the international community hasn’t taken serious action to end the massacre”. Approximately 20,000 – 28,000 Palestinians have been murdered in Gaza since 10/7. Today, on Christmas Eve, I can’t help but wonder how many more will die over the next 48 hours.
The U.N. Security Council resolution that our country abstained from votin on, but still took the time to gut, is essentially meaningless. Per Doctors Without Borders, “the measure fell “painfully short” of what is needed”. I wish I had the optimism of the UAE ambassador to call the resolution passing a “Christmas miracle”. Our country has undermined the entire world by continuing to abuse our veto vote. We’ve made the U.N. effectively useless.
I can’t help but feel a deep shame knowing that this Christmas my tax dollars are paying for bombs to rain down on Gaza, tank artillery to terrorize starving people, and your salary as you do nothing to stop the genocide of Palestinians. I find myself preoccupied with questions instead of the holiday spirit. I’ve been asking myself:
– How many people have my tax dollars murdered?
– How can I quantify the level of human suffering my 2020 vote has led to?
– How can I ever be proud to be American ever again?
We need an immediate, permanent ceasefire. There must be unrestricted humanitarian aid into Gaza. This Christmas Eve, I ask you to reflect on Father Rami Askarieh’s words, “Israelis, Palestinians; we are all human, we are all the children of God.”
Estimated deaths as of 12/11 from multiple sources*
Al Jazeera quotes 20,000 dead as of 12/23/23. Al Jazeera always includes the most up-to-date official death tolls on their Breaking/live updates page. Because the daily live pages are refreshed so frequently for each new day, I can’t link you to a specific date. You can always check the Breaking/live section on their site for the most recent official numbers.
EuroMed Monitor quotes an estimated 28,091 dead shown on an infographic posted on their Instagram (link to post) as of 12/23/23. Their website has past infographics, but does not currently have this newest one included as of the writing of this blog post.
This is not unusual- I believe they post infographics first on social media and then add them to the infographic section of their website later on. Prior infographics posted on Instagram and then shown on their site have the exact same figures & data.
*Why are multiple sources used for the death count?
The situation in Gaza has only gotten worse since the AP published this article on 11/21. The official numbers we are seeing from Gaza’s Ministry of Health are undercounted, and have been since at least 11/21.
EuroMed Monitor is a NGO established in 2011 that advocates for the human rights of all persons across Europe and the MENA region. They have a regional office in the Palestinian Occupied Territories. I believe their estimates are credible which is why I quote them, and will continue to, when referring to the estimated death toll.
My personal opinion is that the true number is even higher than estimated- people are dying from starvation, thirst, infections, and illnesses. Even if the genocide ended this moment, these types of deaths will unfortunately continue for some time. I believe their deaths should be counted. They may not have been shot/bombed/etc. by the Israeli military, but their deaths are directly attributable to the total siege, occupation, and intentional** destruction of civilian, water, waste management, and medical infrastructure by Israel.
**Why are you accusing Israel of intentionally destroying important infrastructure and targeting civilians?
