As we all watch the events and destruction unfolding in real time in Gaza, we know that thousands of Palestinians have been killed (more than 2000 of those children), tens of thousands displaced with their homes destroyed, and the two million Palestinians are trapped in Gaza with no where to hide from Israeli airstrikes.
Now is the time to urge our elected officials to push for a ceasefire. There isn't a second to waste.
New Jersey Rep Cori Bush (D) and Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D) have created the
Ceasefire Now resolution, which you can read
here, calling for an immediate ceasefire and for humanitarian assistance to be allowed to enter Gaza. For this resolution to pass, it is essential that every one of us flood our elected officials with calls and emails to ask them to support this resolution.
Never called your elected official before? Don't be intimidated. We'll talk you through it:
1. If you just want to know how to find who your elected official is with their email and phone information, and you'll make your plea from there, click
here. Follow the instructions on the page (they ask for your address). Then a list will pop up for federal, state or local elected officials. CLICK ON THE + SIGN FOR FEDERAL. The names of your two senators and your representatives will pop up. Click on the plus sign next to their names, and you'll find their phone numbers, social media handles and email.
Call, email, write on their social media pages asking for a ceasefire. Do it every day.
SCRIPT ONE FOR SENATORS:
My name is [YOUR FIRST & LAST NAME], and I'm a constituent of [SENATOR'S NAME]. I'm calling about Palestine and Israel. The senator must take immediate steps to deescalate, by calling for a ceasefire, pressuring Israel to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza, and refusing to send any additional weapons or funding to the Israeli military. I am asking the senator to publicly call for a ceasefire along the lines of the new Ceasefire Now resolution in the House led by Cori Bush and Rashida Tlaib.
Any more military funding to Israel will further fuel violence by actively arming the Israeli government. This is a genocide. The senator must take action now to stop Israel's genocide against Palestinian people in Gaza and end all U.S. complicity in Israel's violence.
SCRIPT 2 FOR HOUSE REPRESENTATIVES:
My name is [YOUR FIRST & LAST NAME], and I'm a constituent of [REPRESENTATIVE'S NAME]. I'm calling about Palestine and Israel. The representative must take immediate steps to deescalate, by calling for a ceasefire, pressuring Israel to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza, and refusing to send any additional weapons or funding to the Israeli military. I urge the Representative to add their name to the Ceasefire Now resolution led by Reps. Bush and Tlaib and cosponsored by 16 other Representatives.
This is a genocide. The representative must take action now to stop Israel's genocide against Palestinian people in Gaza and end all U.S. complicity in Israel's violence.
3. If you'd like to avail U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Right's search tool for your elected senators and representatives, click
here. You can opt out of their emails if you want by clicking on the three boxes at the bottom of their page to opt out.
4. You can also sign Change.org's petition for a ceasefire in Gaza, by clicking
here.
5. If you're in the United Kingdom or abroad, read
Amnesty International's plea for a ceasefire and sign their petition. There is a section on the right where you can enter your information (and opt out of Amnesty emails if you want) and click on the "take action now" yellow button to sign the petition.
6. Keep protesting and raising your voice for a ceasefire. There are protests happening everywhere. In the London protest last week, hundreds of thousands showed up and demanded a ceasefire. Jewish protestors took over Grand Central Station in New York recently demanding a ceasefire. We see you, and the more you show up, the more you're heard.
We all have a part to play. We must continue to pray, and we can ask our elected officials to do what needs to be done.