We, the undersigned, support Congresswoman Cori Bush’s efforts to call for a ceasefire in Gaza, alongside 68% of U.S. voters and a majority of Democrats, Republicans, and independents, nationally. As organizations, clergy, and individuals of multiple faiths, races, and identities in St. Louis, we proudly support our Congresswoman’s principled stance to value and save lives. Her leadership on the Ceasefire Now Resolution and condemnation of the killing of more than 21,000 Palestinians and 1,200 Israelis reflects our values as constituents committed to the protection of all human life. 

We write as individuals, organizations, and clergy, who stand against racism in all its forms. We see Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, colonialism, and xenophobia as facets of white supremacy that shape people’s ability to live safely within their own homes, from Jabaliya Refugee Camp to St. Louis. 

As St. Louis residents, we also know that the fight against injustice abroad is tied to the same struggles in our own city, and we believe that safety for all people comes through solidarity. Safety is not secured by prioritizing the pain and oppression of some at the expense of others. These values were central to connections made between residents of Ferguson and Palestine in 2014, and they are clear in the ongoing push among Congresswoman Bush’s constituents to end harmful police exchanges between U.S. cities and Israel. 

We applaud Congresswoman Bush for stating that our tax dollars should not be put in the hands of the Israeli military that is indiscriminately bombing civilians, particularly when this money could be used to improve the lives of her constituents at home. In St. Louis city alone, more than $5 million of our tax dollars go towards paying for the weapons falling down on Gaza, out of the total $3.8 billion U.S. taxpayers give to Israel each year. This amount is equivalent to funding public housing for 613 households for a year, low-cost healthcare for 1,796 children, salaries for 56 elementary school teachers, a year’s worth of solar electricity for 14,703 households, cancellation of loan debt for 136 students, and the provisioning of 4,490,924 respirator masks. In the coming days, Congress will be considering legislation to give Israel an additional $14.3 billion to continue its violence and killing. The JDAM bombs that were dropped on the Jabalia refugee camp on October 31 killing at least 400 Palestinians, and destroying family homes in central Gaza, were manufactured by Boeing in St. Louis. This is wrong. We demand an economy that affirms life, not death.

Cori Bush went to Congress to save lives. We stand against the smears that accuse Congresswoman Bush of minimizing or diminishing the value of any group of people. Congresswoman Bush has vehemently opposed anti-Semitism, publicly condemned recent acts of hate directed towards Jews, and met with her Jewish constituents to listen to their concerns about anti-Semitism and Israeli state violence alike. She co-sponsored House Resolution 793, which calls for a full and immediate release of Israeli hostages. Like hundreds of thousands of protesters around the world and across the country, including in St. Louis, Congresswoman Bush knows that “we must separate governments from their people.” Jewish constituents themselves, Jewish-led protests around the country, and protesters of all faiths taking to the streets over the last three weeks have been extremely clear that Israel does not represent the diversity and expansiveness of the Jewish people, and they refuse to be silenced in their valid criticisms of Israel, or of any other state.

As a coalition of many races, faiths, and identities committed to justice and peace in the Middle East, we, too, call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and an end to the use of our tax dollars to fund ethnic cleansing and genocide. We stand against the sixteen-year blockade of Gaza, the 75 year Israeli occupation of Palestine, and the bombing of civilians. We oppose the sinister use of the tragic deaths of some to justify the ethnic cleansing of others. 

When we voted to put Congresswoman Bush in office, we did so because we knew she would reflect our values. She has been remarkably successful in doing so, putting resources towards economic and racial justice in our city, and speaking out against state violence at home and abroad. 

Like Congresswoman Bush, we honor the long, rich history of interfaith and multi-racial solidarity in the fight against racism in all its forms. Join us in thanking Congresswoman Bush for the brave stance she has taken against state violence, and in ensuring she can continue her important work for many years to come. 

Signed by:

Progressive Jews of St. Louis

Jewish Voice for Peace - St. Louis

Anti Racism Organizing Collective (AROC-STL)

Freedom Community Center

National Lawyers Guild - St. Louis

Epiphany United Church of Christ

Human Rights Collective

Faith for Justice

Tent Mission STL

The Center for Growing Justice

Coalition Against Police Crimes & Repression (CAPCR)

Imam Council of Metropolitan St. Louis

American Muslims for Palestine - Missouri (St. Louis)

St. Louis Palestine Solidarity Committee

St. Louis Queer + Support Helpline

Trans and Gender Non Conforming Support Group

Missouri Justice Coalition

The American Friends Service Committee's Saint Louis Peacebuilding Program

Black Men Build 

Islamic Foundation of Greater St. Louis

Resist WashU

Resist STL

MoHo Justice Coalition

Solidarity Coalition STL/Metro East

MoKaBe's Coffeehouse

Bi+ Visibility STL

Rokusek Recruits

St. Brigid’s Progressive Orthodox Mission

Missouri Workers Center

Lifeline Aid Group

Saint Louis Chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America

All Black Creatives

American Muslims for Palestine (AMP-MO)

Seed & Spiral

Earthkeeper Wisdom School

Megan Green, President of the Board of Aldermen

Movement for Black Lives (M4BL)

Jewish Voice for Peace Action 

Adalah Justice Project