We can not be blinded or silent with what is happening in Israel and Palestine right now
🗽“There is something deeply hypocritical about praying for a problem you are unwilling to resolve." - Miroslav Volf
Gandhi has been attributed for saying “an eye for an eye means everyone is blind.”
We can not be blinded, or silent, to what is happening in Israel and Palestine right now. Before we talk about the facts and numbers just a friendly reminder that all of us harbor implicit bias. We must, therefore, put aside our biases, hatred, or bigotry, and focus on peace. Also let me be clear, I am not a policy expert on Israel or Palestine, I am a mom in suburbia leading a progressive grassroots group to make informed choices based on available information. I also believe that as champions for progress, we must step out and advocate for change, for something better, and sometimes doing so with the knowledge that we don’t know what the future holds or what impact our actions will have.
Prior to the current war the HUMAN TOLL FOR THE PAST 15 YEARS has been:
Palestine fatalities 6,417 and Israel fatalities 308
Palestine injuries 153,431 and Israel injuries 6,316
HUMAN TOLL this past month (after the Hamas attack and kidnappings on Israel on October 7th thru today):
Hostages being held by Hamas 2401
Palestine fatalities 8,805 and Israel fatalities 1,400
Palestine injuries 22,240 and Israel injuries 5,400
**Data provided by the United Nations23
There can be no question that xenophobia, islamophobia, and antisemitism can not be tolerated ever. Hatred and terrorism should find no welcome in any community. The slaughter of innocent Israelis and the ongoing torment to families in Israel should have all of us championing the return of the hostages as a top priority, and equally important, the people of Israel and Palestine should not have to live in the constant terror yielded by Hamas. How we get to that future without Hamas terror remains to be seen.
Approximately 2.2 million Palestinians, with half of them being children, have been placed under an almost complete blockade for several weeks, severely limiting their access to essential resources such as food, water, and humanitarian aid.4 Recent reports from the United Nations indicate that nearly half of the homes in Gaza have been destroyed due to an escalating campaign of bombardment. 5
Given the dire situation and the human toll happening, we must advocate strongly for de-escalation and follow the lead of J-Street (a pro-Israel, pro-peace organization) urging world leaders to seek “a humanitarian pause.”6 We also must follow the effort of leaders attempting to address the worsening situation, like Rashida Tlaib who introduced a resolution7 calling for a ceasefire. Additionally, we are dismayed that the United States voted against the United Nations resolution calling for an immediate truce, without offering a viable alternative to the innocent people of Gaza, unable to find an alternative pathway out of harm's way on their own.8
We strongly urge all Members of Congress to support the plea for humanitarian pauses in the ongoing conflict and the restoration of public services. Additionally, we call upon the Biden Administration to persist in taking any and all necessary actions to maintain Israeli security, counter Hamas, protect Israeli and Palestinian civilians, uphold international laws, and prevent the escalation of tensions in the region. It is imperative that these measures are immediately undertaken to address the current conflict.
Here are some People Power United actions we can take for peace:
Call your Senators and your Representatives (202) 224-3121 and the White House (202) 456-1111 and ask them to “champion policies that maintain Israeli security, counter Hamas, protect Israeli and Palestinian civilians, uphold international laws, and prevent the escalation of tensions in the region”
Send a message to your representative to co-sponsor the Cease Fire resolution:
Sign the petition to support immediate de-escalation and ceasefire in Israel and occupied Palestine:
Pray for peace. Pray for the return of the hostages. Pray for the people of Israel and the people of Palestine. Pray for a free and just Israel and Palestine.
In case you missed it, People Power United issued our initial statement on October 10th and later Laurie issued a statement on Israel and Palestine, you can read these here:
https://peoplepowerunited.substack.com/p/statement-people-power-uniteds-statement-187
https://peoplepowerunited.substack.com/p/lauries-statement-on-israel-and-palestine
Lastly, let us be mindful of this powerful quote by Miroslav Volf “There is something deeply hypocritical about praying for a problem you are unwilling to resolve.” I am confident that if we show up and speak out for peace we can help nudge progress forward.
People Power United Updates
Our group is growing leaps and bounds! Folks understand that with love in our hearts and hard work, we will reclaim our nation from the cruelty, chaos, and confusion. And we are having fun making impactful changes in our community! In case you missed it, this past week was busy:
Laurie went to DC to deliver People Power United letters and petitions
Our members took over 18,000 actions.
Click here to find these updates.
Upcoming Events
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Progressive Issues Activism
Townhall: How Article 14.3 of the Constitution Disqualifies Trump from Running for President
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Join us for a special event:
Townhall: How Article 14.3 of the Constitution Disqualifies Trump from Running for President, click here for more information and to register
BONUS
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People Power United stands with our coalition partners as champions for progress in our communities. Here are some People Powered actions we can take.
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Everyone deserves to vote and thrive,
Laurie Woodward Garcia (paid with hugs and kisses, not bought by special interests)
People Power United | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
I believe in the power of the people. I have seen the love and determination of folks stepping up to write letters and postcards to voters, signing petitions and letter campaigns, making calls, sending texts, hitting doors, and dropping literature. There is no power like that of the people, and People Power United stands ready to protect our communities against any and all injustices. - Laurie Woodward Garcia, People Power United
https://www.cnn.com/middleeast/live-news/israel-hamas-war-gaza-news-10-31-23/h_8c72e34ff7117907983bbdc8e0eedc41
https://www.ochaopt.org/data/casualties
https://www.ochaopt.org/content/hostilities-gaza-strip-and-israel-reported-impact-day-26
https://www.newyorker.com/news/q-and-a/the-humanitarian-catastrophe-in-gaza
https://www.newarab.com/news/gaza-42-housing-units-destroyed-damaged-israel
https://jstreet.org/press-releases/j-street-supports-urgent-calls-for-humanitarian-pauses-in-israel-hamas-fighting/
https://bush.house.gov/media/press-releases/reps-bush-tlaib-carson-lee-ramirez-lead-colleagues-in-call-for-immediate-ceasefire
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/oct/28/gaza-israel-truce-un-resolution-us
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/nov/01/gaza-humanitarian-pause-bernie-sanders
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/10/31/antony-blinken-biden-aid-ukraine-israel-gazans/