We’re here today to keep vigil. We’re here today to bear witness. It doesn’t have to be this way.
Day 53 of Israel’s genocidal assault on Gaza. With news of prisoner exchanges and truce extensions, even as Israel breaks the truce with targeted killings.
I’m tired of hearing about “pauses.” You probably saw the sign: You pause movies, you pause songs, you end genocide. This isn’t rocket science. You stop killing children. At least our government should demand it, shouldn’t it. Every one one of those Israeli bombs, every one of those Israeli bullets have been paid for by us. Every one has our name on it. Is it too much to demand a damn ceasefire? Period.
And I’m tired of governments, national and local, of businesses and schools and the corporate-owned media seeing antisemitism behind every criticism of Israel.
And more personally, I’m tired that people like you and me and millions and millions of people like us around the world being put on the defensive accused of antisemitism when we’re the ones protesting for human rights. I’m tired because people like you and me have spent our lives fighting antisemitism, Islamophobia, and racism in all its forms. We know – and they know, too – their name-calling is nothing but a cynical lie in order to maintain a racist, apartheid, genocidal regime.
ONE. We’re coming to the end of November, Native American Heritage month. Native American activist, Winona LaDuke reminds us:
“White America can’t deal with Gaza because we can’t talk about Israel. Europe ‘solved’ their ‘Jewish problem’ by exporting the radical, terrorist, extremist Zionists and their mad plan” to Palestine. It’s because we can’t talk about Wounded Knee or Canada’s boarding schools or forced sterilizations or Andrew Jackson on our twenty-dollar bill. Because we’re one huge settlement here on stolen land. We can’t talk about Israel here because we are Israel.”
And while we’re at it, let’s remember: Bibi Netanyahu presents a map at the UN showing Israel “from the river to the sea,” and people applaud. Non-violent protesters chant, “From the river to the sea,” and it’s called antisemitic hate speech. Biden, Congress, the corporate-owned media, and other Israel sycophants are more concerned about a slogan than about dead Palestinian babies.
American exceptionalism is Zionist exceptionalism and Zionist exceptionalism is American exceptionalism. Two racist histories. Two racist regimes. Never satisfied. Hungry for more.
TWO. And tomorrow, November 29, is the United Nations International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. Of the 300 Palestinian names given for release to Israel, 270 were children, 30 were women, 235 were never convicted, and 22 were charged with “throwing rocks.” They weren’t criminals. Imprisoning them was criminal. Yesterday, Israel released 117 Palestinians after a prisoner exchange agreement. At the same time, it arrested 116 new Palestinian prisoners in the West Bank. Think about it.
We at Indiana Center for Middle East Peace are inviting all who stand in solidarity with Palestine to (1) “Fast for Gaza,” to safely fast from one or two or all your meals and then take the money you save and donate it to Gaza Relief. Then, maybe you’ll want to pick one day a week to continue to fast for Gaza. (2) Also, three 20-year-old young men are shot in Vermont, two wearing keffiyehs (all three, graduates of the Friends Quaker School in Ramallah, that some of my solidarity tour groups have visited). In their honor, and for Gaza, wear a keffiyeh and wear it proudly.
And join us – we’re here every Tuesday at 5:00, no matter how cold, rain or shine.
We reject powerlessness. We reject helplessness. We reject hopelessness. We do not despair. We embrace our power. We must make them listen. We will make them listen.
We the people have the power. We have to make our leaders follow.
Not in our name. x 4 Ceasefire now. x 4 Human rights now. x 4
Free, free Palestine. x 4 Free, free Gaza. x 4
Never again means never again for everybody.
Never again is now! Never again has to be now.