3rd Thursday Action Alert: Engage your Congressional Representatives to end the Genocide, ensure sufficient aid, and hold Israel accountable
Engage your Congressional Representatives in Your home state/district during the August Congressional Recess – The US must use its leverage to end the Genocide, ensure sufficient aid, and hold Israel accountable
In the last two weeks, Israel has announced its intention for a long-term occupation of Gaza, a plan that would involve massive displacement of Palestinians there, and which would extend an occupation that is already 58 years old. This announcement comes in the midst of Israel’s ongoing genocide of Palestinians there (as named by many human rights organizations and other agencies as well as several churches) with full support from the US. More than 61,000 Palestinians are now confirmed to have been killed by Israel, including over 18,000 children, and more than 154,000 have been injured, according to the United Nations. Israel has used starvation as a weapon, and has targeted desperate Palestinians queuing to receive limited humanitarian aid from the very few aid distribution hubs of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. Medical professionals and facilities, journalists, schools, hospitals, mosques, and churches, let alone civilians, have been targeted, leaving no safe place for the Palestinians in Gaza who have been forcibly displaced, many multiple times.
The United States has continued to supply military and diplomatic cover for Israel’s campaign, including over $30 billion in arms sales and military assistance to Israel, despite recent efforts to prevent US arms sales.
As Congress is on recess in August, senators and Congressional representatives are in their home states and districts. During that time, they and/or their staff in local offices may be available to meet with their constituencies, either in meetings you might schedule or in town hall settings. This is a valuable opportunity for you to make your opinion known to your representative. While these elected officials are away from Washington, take advantage of the opportunity to meet with them or their staff. Urge them to:
- Urge your Representative in Congress to support the Block the Bombs Act (House Res. 3565), to prevent further US arms sales to Israel, and to end the genocide. The Senate has already voted on similar bills (SJ Res 34 & 41), so find out if your Senators voted to block sales. Thank them if they supported the resolutions and tell them what you think if they didn’t.
- The US must hold Israel accountable for its occupation, annexation, and continued genocide and oppression of Palestinians. The US has imposed sanctions on other countries for the same policies and practices, but has continued to condone and support Israeli actions. Let your representative know that you expect the US to hold Israel to the same standards of US and international law as other countries.
- Tell your elected representatives to oppose Israeli plans to occupy Gaza City and to expand settlements in the West Bank, including one approved by the Knesset that would divide the occupied West Bank in two and further destroy the contiguity of Palestinian lands. Israel’s 58-year occupation of Palestinian lands is illegal according to international law and the International Court of Justice, and must end. Extending occupation must not be tolerated.
- As Palestinians in Gaza continue to starve, urge your representative to press for a restoration of US funding for the channels of humanitarian aid that have worked before, including the United Nations Relief and Works Agency. Not only must UNRWA be permitted to function without impediment, but abundant nutritional aid and material supplies must be made available and accessible immediately and safely to stave off the crisis of famine and food insecurity that all the Palestinian people of Gaza are facing. This is a crisis that must be addressed immediately, with open access and widespread distribution through trusted channels.
- Efforts must be made to press for the immediate release of all hostages and prisoners, so that they may return to their families. Hamas and other Palestinian militia groups continue to hold roughly 20 Israeli hostages in Gaza, and Israel holds in detention more than 10,000 Palestinians without charge.
Let your representative know that you support a just and durable peace in the Middle East that addresses the root issues and the immediate urgent needs of the people.
Call your Senators’ and Congressional representative’s local office to schedule an appointment to present your views while they are on recess this August. To find the local offices of your Senators and Congressional representative, click on the following links: