Yesterday, the New York Times headline was “Worst night’ in Gaza,” after the Israeli government has started a ground operation. The Washington Post reports, “Several international aid organizations and U.N. agencies have expressed their concern for colleagues in Gaza, after losing contact as a result of the communications blackout. Reporters for The Washington Post and other outlets said they had lost contact with colleagues inside Gaza.”
Over the last few days, there’s also been increased conflict on the Lebanon-Israel border and thousands of families have been evacuated. Early Friday morning, U.S. fighter jets struck two sites linked to Iranian militias in Syria. There’s a real danger that the situation rapidly deteriorates further — and that’s why it’s so important to keep working for a ceasefire that can save lives.
The UN Secretary-General has called for a ceasefire. Members of
Congress, celebrities, and hundreds of thousands of activists across the
globe have as well. This week, even U.S. Secretary of State Antony
Blinken publicly called for a ‘humanitarian pause.’ Amidst incredible
suffering and fear, one encouraging bright spot is that the pressure —
people all around the globe speaking out against violence and the
collective punishment of millions of people in Gaza to end, is increasing.
We’ve got to go further. We need more voices, more grassroots power, and more visibility to end the violence. We have to make sure that anyone with influence — congressional staff and members of Congress, folks in local government, religious leaders, people in the Biden administration, and more — can’t drive down a single street without seeing our demand.
Attacks on everyday people are war crimes that have no place in any conflict. Hamas’ mass violence and abductions on October 7 were horrific. The Israeli government’s continued blockade in Gaza is not justice.
This violence isn’t going to bring safety or liberation to anyone — it’ll only breed more fear, hatred, and trauma. That’s why we continue to call for a ceasefire.
A ceasefire can save lives in Gaza by pausing the bombing and allowing opportunities for critically needed humanitarian relief. It can help ensure hostages can be reunited with their loved ones. When we demand that the U.S. government agitate for one, it is us saying that everyday people in Gaza deserve dignity – and their horrific treatment has no justification or excuse.
A ceasefire can provide safety for people in Israel. Violence begets violence. Every moment this conflict continues putting people in Israel in danger.
A ceasefire can make a massive, and immediate positive difference in people’s lives. That’s why we’re asking folks to make that demand impossible to ignore by creating or purchasing yard signs and stickers, or making a donation to fuel our work. Together, we can push for the violence to end faster.
Many people reading this, especially those who are Arab, Muslim, or Jewish, have been feeling scared and less safe. I know that for some of you, even the idea of making a public declaration on this issue might make you uneasy.
As someone whose kids have Jewish and Muslim heritage, it makes me uneasy, too. I remember growing up after 9/11. I remember being harassed and called a terrorist at school. I want better for my kids. I want them to sing in a synagogue without worrying about their safety, and I want them to celebrate being Muslim with pride too.
I want for my kids, for myself, and for you, what we all want : to be able to be ourselves — our whole selves — and live in a peace that can only come without the fear of violence.
Too often, when we talk about this conflict, we strip away other people’s humanity or stay silent in the face of injustice because we’re scared. There are real consequences if we speak up.
But we knew that before and during the Iraq War too — and we spoke up anyway. Today, I hope you can join me — possibly once again — to push through your fear. We need to speak up because what’s happening in Gaza and Israel, will ultimately make us all less safe, and we all deserve something better.
Thank you for working for peace,
Sara and the Win Without War team.
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