April 5, 2024
To: United States Senator Elizabeth Warren, Senator Ed Markey and Representative Katherine Clark
Subject: Ceasefire and Palestinian Solidarity
“If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.” - Archbishop Desmond Tutu
“The cries of Palestinian and Israeli children sound no different to me. What I don't understand is why the cries of Palestinian children sound different to you all.” - U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib
Dear Senator Warren, Senator Markey, and Representative Clark,
We are writing today as members of the Watertown community, to call for an immediate end to the Israeli government’s devastating assault against Palestinians trapped in Gaza and the West Bank. We urge you, our Senators and Representative, to join the calls for an immediate permanent ceasefire, to rush in humanitarian aid, to end military aid to Israel, and to hold Israel accountable to international law.
For seventy-five years, Palestinians have been systematically subjected to dehumanizing occupation, ethnic cleansing and apartheid. This devastation has come to a head in this ruthless bombardment and siege of Gaza. We were horrified by the loss of Israeli civilian life on Oct. 7th, 2023, and we are horrified by the brutal occupation and siege laid upon the Palestinian people for decades before and since. Over the past four months, the Israeli military has acted with impunity, targeted civilians, cut off water, fuel, and communications to all of Gaza, and bombed refugee camps, hospitals, and schools. Elected and military leaders in the Israeli government have made public statements consistent with genocidal intent and U.N. experts called on the “international community to prevent genocide of the Palestinian people in Gaza.” Additionally, Israel has sanctioned raids in the West Bank, where 2023 had already been the deadliest year for Palestinians in over two decades. This combination of deprivation of basic needs, disregard for human rights and international law, and deadly violence against civilians has created a grave humanitarian and moral crisis. To date, more than 35,000 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed, a number fast approaching the entire population of Watertown. More than 12,000 of the casualties are children. Over four times as many Palestinian children have been killed in Gaza in the past six months than attend the Watertown Public Schools. The U.N. Secretary has called Gaza “a graveyard for children.”
Throughout this attack, the U.S. government has remained supportive of Israel’s actions. We stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people. We call upon you to stand up for our shared humanity, and join our call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire now.
Sincerely,
