Statement in solidarity with the Palestinian people of Gaza and with seekers of freedom and justice world-wide | Jewish Voice for Peace
Submitted by Naomi Dann on Wed, 08/06/2014 - 7:39am
JVP is pleased to share the following statement in solidarity
with Gaza that comes from Palestinian, indigenous, women of color,
anti-racist, and Jewish feminists:
Statement in Solidarity with the Palestinian people of Gaza
and with seekers of freedom and justice world-wide
As Palestinian, indigenous, women of color, anti-racist, and
Jewish feminists involved in a range of social justice struggles, we
strongly condemn the current massacre of the Palestinians of Gaza and
affirm our support for and commitment to the growing international
movement for a free Palestine and for racial justice, equality, and
freedom for all.
As many of us know from time spent in Palestine and in other
movements for justice, the connections between the movement for a free
Palestine and anti- colonial struggles for self-determination throughout
the world are inextricable.
The current Israeli attacks on Gaza have resulted in more
than 1900 Palestinian deaths, including over 450 children; the
displacement of up to 25% of the population; and the destruction of
crucial infrastructure such as sanitation, hospitals, and schools. We
condemn and are horrified by the current acts of Israeli brutality,
while also recognizing the deeply rooted and ongoing violence that
Palestinians are forced to endure on a daily basis- for example, living
in ghetto-like conditions in Gaza, systematically having land
confiscated, being deprived of their livelihoods, collective punishment,
gender and racial violence, and ongoing expulsion and displacement from
the Nakba until today.
An extensive prison system bolsters the occupation and suppresses
resistance. Over 5,000 Palestinians are locked inside Israeli
prisons; more than 200 are children. There is ongoing criminalization of
their political activity.
We believe in the critical importance, now more than ever,
of the Palestinian-led Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions call for
Israel to 1) End its occupation and colonization of all
Arab lands and dismantle the Wall; 2) Recognize the fundamental rights
of the Arab-Palestinian citizens of Israel to full equality;
and 3) Respect, protect and promote the rights of
Palestinian refugees to return to their homes and properties as
stipulated in UN resolution 194. The purpose of the BDS
campaigns is to pressure Israeli state-sponsored institutions to adhere
to international law, basic human rights, and democratic principles as a
condition for just and equitable social relations.
We stand with the Palestinian community and with activists
all over the world in condemning the flagrant injustices of the current
Israeli massacre against the
Palestinians of Gaza; the land, air, and sea blockade of Gaza; and the Israeli occupation of Palestine.
We call for an end to US military aid, at more than 3 billion a year, for the Israeli state and its occupation.
We call upon all people of conscience to stand with
Palestine and to join the worldwide actions in which communities and
civil society are stepping up in critical ways. We recognize that all
our struggles for social, racial, gender, and economic justice and for
self-determination are deeply interconnected and can only gain strength
and power from one another. As Audre Lorde taught us, “When
we can arm ourselves with the strength and vision from all our diverse
communities then we will in truth all be free at last.”
