Letter: Join Us To Protest The Ongoing Violence Against Palestinians

We residents of Western Mass condemn the ongoing violence against Palestinians in East Jerusalem and Gaza by the state of Israel. We stand in solidarity with the Palestinians who are rising up against a century of Israeli colonialism in Palestine and fifty years of military occupation of East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza. We condemn the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians from East Jerusalem, in the neighborhoods of Silwan, Sheikh Jarrah and the Old City. 

We believe that President Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and moving the American Embassy there, reversing nearly seven decades of American foreign policy, is emboldening Israel to be more aggressive in colonizing East Jerusalem and preventing any chance for meaningful peace negotiations. We demand that President Biden reverse Trump policy on Jerusalem and return to the pre-Trump US Jerusalem policy which does not recognize Israel sovereignty in any part of the city. The UN 1947 resolution for the partition of Palestine designated Jerusalem and Bethlehem as international territory. 

The repeated Israeli use of American made weapons to kill civilians in Gaza is in violation of the Leahy Laws which prohibit the use American made weapons to commit war crimes and violations of human right, must be stopped. We demand of the Biden administration to uphold the Leahy Laws and stop spending public money to arm Israel to kill Palestinian civilians. This week at least 53 people, including more than a dozen children, were killed by Israeli bombing in Gaza., where Israeli bombs are hitting and destroying apartment buildings. We demand that the 3.9 billion dollars in US military aid to Israel be diverted to help the victims of violence being perpetrated against the Palestinian people. We support genuine peace in Palestine/Israel which will end the killing of Palestinian and Israelis. But there can be no peace as long as Israel continues to occupy Palestine and denies Palestinians their human rights.

Friday, May 14, 2021 is the seventy-third anniversary of the declaration of the state of Israel. On this date we will stand outside Congressman McGovern’s office to send a message of solidarity with the Palestinian uprising and publicize our demand for our government.  

EVENT: Protest Outside McGovern Office
DATE: Friday, May 14, 2021, 12:00-1PM 
PLACE: McGovern Office, 94 Pleasant Street, Northampton

Yoav Elinevsky and Marty Nathan

Yoav Elinevsky and Marty Nathan are long-time Valley residents and peace activists.