Letter from Milton Residents in Support of Palestinian Rights

We mourn the loss of innocent civilian lives and denounce all forms of terrorism and extremism. We pray for the safe return of innocent Israeli hostages and the safety of innocent civilians living under very harsh conditions in Gaza. We mourn how many of our families, friends and neighborhoods are becoming divided.

As we write this letter, Palestinians in both Gaza and the West Bank are being subjected to unimaginable pain and suffering. We condemn the horrific ongoing violence inflicted on the Palestinian people, part of a long history of displacement and discrimination they have endured since the Nakba of 1948. We urgently call for an end to the Israeli assault on the Gaza Strip. The risk of genocide is real.

As of November 7, 2023, over 10,000 Palestinians, including over 4000 children, have been killed from relentless bombing by the Israeli Defense Forces. The United Nations has called Gaza a “graveyard for children.” The health system in Gaza has collapsed. Basic primary care and prenatal care are unavailable to the population, and access to essential medicines such as insulin and anesthetics for pediatric and adult surgeries are barely available. ICUs, neonatal units, and dialysis machines may soon lack fuel to run, consigning these patients to death. Palestinians in Gaza have been deliberately denied access to food, clean water, and fuel, with barely a trickle of food, water, and medical supplies entering through the Rafah crossing; Israeli authorities block all other crossings. Over 70% of the population has been displaced to the south of Gaza, and in their displaced condition, they continue to be bombed. The use of white phosphorus (an illegal chemical weapon), as well as the targeting of journalists, medical personnel, NGO workers, and religious sites, is appalling. In the West Bank the death toll has risen to 181.

We write this letter to affirm the humanity of the Palestinian people and our solidarity with them, against a context of widespread dehumanization and erasure of Palestinian life in the United States and in the Western world in the media, in public discourse, and in government statements. 

We also voice our concern for the safety of Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim communities in Milton. Muslim communities across the US have been subjected to harassment and lethal violence, as seen in the tragic killing in Illinois of Wadea Al-Fayoume, a six-year-old Palestinian-American child. In Massachusetts there has been a 300% increase in Islamophobic rhetoric and hate crimes. 

As a community we need to stand united for peace and justice. We need to recognize that Islamophobia, anti-Arab racism and anti-Semitism are on the rise because our communities have been polarized. We affirm that hate has no place in Milton and that this should be a priority for our communities and elected officials. 

We call on elected representatives in the town of Milton, and officials in the federal government, to recognize the value and dignity of Palestinian lives and the rights of all oppressed peoples for self-determination. We urge them to call for an end to this collective punishment.

We also request that Milton raise the Palestinian flag at Town Hall to honor the lives of Palestinians. Together with the raised Israeli flag, this will send a message of unity in our town, compassion to civilians on both sides, and hope for a future where lasting peace is achieved in the Middle East. 

Milton, MA Residents in Support of Palestinian Rights