“To Those Who Tell Us To Stay Safe”: A Message From Our Palestinian IofC Alumni
*The images above have been captured firsthand by alumni who live in Gaza.
Immediate Release - Richmond, VA
May 18, 2021
The world is watching and so are we. Over the weekend, members of the Initiatives of Change USA team received many messages from Palestinian alumni of our Caux Scholars Program asking us to take a stand with them in solidarity and to share these solemn words:
“To those who tell us to ‘stay safe’ - we truly appreciate your support but:
1- #Gaza has no shelters.
2- We’re staying at home. What else can we do to stay safe?
3- Gaza is a highly populated, condensed little space so this affects us all.
4- We are unarmed. What else can we do?
5-For many of us, the electricity is out and phones are dead. This is a strategy to stop information traveling outside of Gaza.
With this in mind and heart, we can not be silent about the escalation of attacks by the Israeli military state on Palestinian lives. There is a historical imbalance of power and disproportionate force that we must reckon with. For decades, Israeli occupation in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and a blockade in Gaza has made life for Palestinians a permanent state of exception - an amplifying apartheid regime of terror, intimidation, violence, disenfranchisement, and evictions.
The most recent missile attacks on Palestinians beginning May 10th have resulted in the killings of 212 people (including 61 children), the wounding of more than 1,000 people, the displacement of over 38,000 persons, and at least 800,000 residents lack regular access to safe drinking water. On May 15th, an Israeli military airstrike exploded the 12-story al-Jalaa tower housing multiple media organizations including the offices of the Associated Press and Al Jazeera. This violent destruction not only continues to put human lives at stake but also stymies the efforts of journalists to vigilantly and transparently document the full realities of daily life in Gaza.
As an organization invested in peacebuilding and social justice, we are deeply disheartened by the Israeli state warfare against Palestinian communities. The security, livelihood and wellbeing of Palestinian people should not be sacrificed to ensure the same for Israeli people. Even as global calls for a ceasefire resound, Israel has ramped up last week’s massive with a dozen air strikes on the Gaza Strip on Monday, May 17th. With the same vigor we proclaim that Black Lives Matter, we also declare that Palestinian Lives Matter.
Therefore, we join the bipartisan call of 29 U.S. Senators - including Virginia’s two Senators, Tim Kaine and Mark Warner - in petitioning for “an immediate ceasefire agreement in Israel and the Palestinian territories to prevent further loss of life and further escalation of violence”. All means of diplomatic engagement should be given credence and pursued, such as President Biden’s recent call for a ceasefire to the Israeli Prime Minister. In a deeper commitment to anti-Palestinian racism and violence, we also call for the defunding of millions of U.S. tax dollars for military weapon sales to Israel; this makes U.S. citizens accomplices to warfare and destruction against Palestinian people.
What can we all do to be in solidarity with Palestinians?
Reach out to your U.S. Senators and the Office of the U.S. President. Call, write, tag them on social media and join the call for an immediate ceasefire by Israel.
Participate in a “Stand With Palestine” rally, protest, or solidarity group in your city or town. Here is a calendar of events happening in cities around the globe.
Check out these important resources to learn more about Palestinian history and the struggle for human rights.
#StandwithPalestine #ImmediateCeasefire #EndtoWarfare