So many things have happened since I started this petition, it's been nearly impossible to keep it updated, let's get into it...
For regular updates/ways to help, check out my LinkTree.
There's all sorts of resources on there - Find out how your politicians voted/who they are receiving donations from, etc. so that you can vote them out in November; information about war tax resistance, if you want to protest paying taxes; helpful apps that you can use to track your reps/call them, and even scan products to see if they support Israel so that you don't buy from them.
Quick recap (by no means comprehensive, follow links for more info):
At least 32,333 Palestinians have been killed and 74,694 others wounded in Israeli attacks on Gaza.
At least 27 children have died from malnutrition, and there are over a million people crammed into Rafah, most living in tents, which is the end of the line before being pushed into Egypt and Israel plans to proceed with a ground invasion there next (they are already attacking from air).
Meanwhile, Congress passed an emergency funding bill/budget, that Biden signed into law, that gives Israel another $3.8 Billion in aid, defunds UNRWA (the United Nations Relief Works Agency) until 2025 - they are the main organization that provides aid to Gaza, but now they have less funding, and the IDF won't let them in/keeps killing people trying to give aid and those waiting to received aid - Learn More about the Flour Massacre, and will remove any possibility of US funding for the Palestinian Authority if they try to bring any cases against Israel to the International Criminal Court (ICC), among other heinous things shoved into a 1,000 page bill.
The UN finally voted on a temporary ceasefire, because the US abstained for once instead of vetoing it. But don't get too excited, it's only until the end of Ramadan, which is only a TWO WEEK break from incessant bombing/displacement/starvation, etc.
The United States could stop funding/providing weapons to Israel get them to comply with ICJ orders, and international law, but they are choosing not to. The IDF is blocking aid from entering into Gaza on all sides, and the little that gets in is nowhere near enough. So, POTUS thought (which you may have heard during his State of the Union address), why don't we spend TWO MONTHS building a pier in Gaza to get some aid in (which we are now finding out, they are using the rubble of homes that were destroyed by bombing, likely with bodies buried underneath, as part of their materials to construct the pier).
In two months, everyone could be dead. This is unacceptable, and our government is ignoring our calls, but enacting legislation that further harms Palestinians/contributes to their starvation and genocide. Don't be fooled by the little sound bites and news clips about the dissension between Biden and Netanyahu; don't be fooled by Republicans fighting with Democrats; they are all on the same team and they all do not give a shit about Palestinians, and they also do not give a shit about us. Keep boycotting, writing, calling, protesting, screaming, whatever you have to do. Nobody is safe with a government that justifies/denies/supports genocide. History is repeating itself before our eyes and nobody is stopping it, so we have to stop it.
Make it known, LOUDLY, that we refuse to support anyone who is turning a blind eye to this genocide, and that we do not want our tax dollars funding atrocities across the globe. Talk to your friends/family, share resources, join organizations working toward liberation for all.
Nobody is free until we're all free.
Stay mad,
Jess