Debra Sweet, October 17, 2023
With many of you, we join in demanding that governments – most importantly the U.S. which funds Israel’s weapons – stop the siege and impending genocide of the people of Gaza.
🌎 Jewish Voices for Peace – and everyone is invited – will be outside the White House tomorrow, Wednesday, 12:00 pm, calling for a ceasefire and no genocide. Info here.
🌍 Find protests near you and join in.
Some of your responses to my recent message, which are much appreciated:
Fran K: More than half the people in Gaza are under 18 years old — a generation is being murdered. There has been a medium/slow genocide going on in Israel/Palestine for a very long time but now it is full speed ahead. Weapons are being sent to West Bank settlers. The world watches, hour by hour.
Jack G: Broome County, NY is about six times larger in area than the Gaza Strip, Imagine what we would be like if 6000 huge bombs were dropped on our county in the past three days as was done by the Israeli Air Force on tiny Gaza. Imagine if our Broome County was surrounded by razor wire and guns were trained to kill us if we tried to get out. Imagine that for the past 16 years, we were all imprisoned with frequent killings of our people by the outside force that decided if we would be given water and shipments of food and needed supplies. Would some within our tortured region break out of the imprisonment and take revenge on the abusive guards and commit their own crimes against the controlling state?
Michael H: Madness is the right word, Debra. When our President speaks of international law and in the same breath approves of Netanyahu’s plan to decimate Gaza, he makes Americans complicit in Israel’s retaliation against residents of Gaza. When he delivers more U.S. weapons to Israel, he helps make the unfolding collective punishment more deadly. Next week (after 60+ years as a active Democrat) I will change my voter registration to “no party.”
Reverend T: Thanks for this important statement related to the horrific reality of Israel/Hamas and Gaza. I am so grateful for your continuing courageous and important witness in the midst of this catastrophe and many others (Ukraine, Africa, Venezuela, Haiti and beyond.) Your voice is so important to so many of us who live in the hope and promise of a different world.