Board Members of the Progressive Caucus of the California Democratic Party have asked, in their individual capacity, for this statement to be shared because the Party- as it stands- cannot use its resources for a statement inconsistent with the Party platform.
First and foremost, the children of Palestine and Israel do not need more statements from the West, and will never see any of them. We are not writing this to massage egos or satisfy litmus tests. We hope to use this moment as a means to spread truth in a climate where misinformation and disinformation spread faster than verified information. Even well-meaning folks believe and spread incorrect information because it is difficult to ascertain documented facts as we are being inundated with incessant propaganda designed to incite emotional responses that only perpetuate division and benefit the military-industrial complex.
There is no single piece of text that can encompass this geopolitical power struggle. This attack did not happen in a vacuum. The radical right-wing government of Israel is a long-time US-backed administration that has violated International Law and the Geneva Conventions for over 75 years, and is carrying out an occupation that prevents millions of innocent humans from living a life of dignity under an apartheid state. The Israeli government is as right-wing as the Trump administration and does not represent the Israeli people as a whole. The terrorist group Hamas does not represent Palestinians as a whole, just as the U.S. government does not represent its populous as a whole. Hamas carried out a violent attack that also violated International Law, knowing their decision would harm and kill thousands more innocent people in Gaza as the radical Israeli government cut off water, turned off electricity, blockaded the borders so humans could not safely pass, and drops Western military grade bombs and internationally banned chemical weapons in civilian areas. Half of Gaza’s population are children who reside in one of the most densely populated regions of the world. Huge swaths of both Palestinian and Israeli peoples long for peace and to see an end to needless suffering.
We condemn Hamas’s attack on Israeli civilians, and we condemn the 75-year illegal occupation and violence against the Palestinian people by the Israeli government, the current military assault in Palestinian Territories, and the US government that has been funding these human rights violations using our tax dollars. We are disheartened that not all lives seem to be valued equally by some people in power, by the mainstream media, and by some of our own statewide electeds who are in the know but choose to turn a blind eye to the loss of Palestinian lives. We condemn hate crimes here and overseas and stand in solidarity with allies and those affected by them. As Progressives, we believe every life deserves to live in dignity and thrive in true freedom, and we know that a peaceful Israel is not possible until the liberation of the Palestinian people becomes a reality.
There is no single piece of text that can encompass this geopolitical power struggle. This attack did not happen in a vacuum. The radical right-wing government of Israel is a long-time US-backed administration that has violated International Law and the Geneva Conventions for over 75 years, and is carrying out an occupation that prevents millions of innocent humans from living a life of dignity under an apartheid state. The Israeli government is as right-wing as the Trump administration and does not represent the Israeli people as a whole. The terrorist group Hamas does not represent Palestinians as a whole, just as the U.S. government does not represent its populace as a whole. Hamas carried out a violent attack that also violated International Law, knowing their decision would harm and kill thousands more innocent people in Gaza as the radical Israeli government cut off water, turned off electricity, blockaded the borders so humans could not safely pass, and drops Western military grade bombs and internationally banned chemical weapons in civilian areas. Half of Gaza’s population are children who reside in one of the most densely populated regions of the world. Huge swaths of both Palestinian and Israeli peoples long for peace and to see an end to needless suffering.
We condemn Hamas’s attack on Israeli civilians, and we condemn the 75-year illegal occupation and violence against the Palestinian people by the Israeli government, the current military assault in Palestinian Territories, and the US government that has been funding these human rights violations using our tax dollars. We are disheartened that not all lives seem to be valued equally by some people in power, by the mainstream media, and by some of our own statewide electeds who are in the know but choose to turn a blind eye to the loss of Palestinian lives.
We condemn hate crimes here and overseas and stand in solidarity with allies and those affected by them. As Progressives, we believe every life deserves to live in dignity and thrive in true freedom, and we know that a peaceful Israel is not possible until the liberation of the Palestinian people becomes a reality.
We will strive to educate and empower our members by spreading awareness with accurate, fact-checked information in hopes of bringing all of us closer to a better understanding of this crisis, and in turn a better understanding of one another.
[Endorsed by] the following members of the Progressive Caucus Board:
Jenny Lynn, Communications Officer
Fatima Iqbal-Zubair, Chair
Lauren Bier, Secretary
Eric Warmoth, Treasurer
Vinnie Bacon, Membership Officer
Emma Jenson, Parliamentarian
Neel Sannappa, Central California Vice-Chair
Helene Rouvier, Northern California Vice-Chair
Mel Shuen-Mallory, Bay Area Vice Chair
Kayla Asato, Southern California Vice-Chair
Katie Chan, Southern California Vice-Chair
Allyssa Victory, Officer At-Large
Josiah Edwards, Officer At-Large
Amar Shergill, Chair Emeritus
Copyright (C) 2023 Fatima Iqbal Zubair. All rights reserved.
[OJB Editor’s Note: Used by permission. When I (Greg) received this in a email blast, I asked if I could republish it and was granted permission to republish it. Note the Copyright and reservation of rights above; the above writing is copyrighted and our use of it here does not change or reduce that protection. OJB’s publication does not imply agreement with every last point set forth above, but we abhor the Democratic Party’s constraining the voices of thoughtful Democrats, who are addressing major issues of our times, to the end of making it seem that all Democrats agree with their take on events when that is absolutely untrue.]
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None. Don’t participate on Reddit or elsewhere for that matter.