I am a member of Jewish Voice for Peace and have mentored young writers in Gaza as part of We Are Not Numbers (WANN). These groups were founded to counter the insidious propaganda that upholds Israel’s apartheid state and to bring an end to its occupation of Palestine. They were founded by Jews who said “not in our name” will this ongoing tragedy continue.
As we read and hear the latest news, I urge Americans to look behind the headlines at the history of Israeli violence against Palestinians and the role of the US in funding it. It is our responsibility to de-escalate this crisis and work towards addressing the root causes, the well-documented injustices of Israeli occupation, and the relentless bombing of Gaza in 2008, 2012, 2014, and 2022. How many bombs will it take until Americans see that our government is complicit in a cycle of war crimes against an innocent people? Right now I am grieving the death of one of the young writers I tutored, who didn’t deserve to die. All Yousef wanted was the chance to live a peaceful life in a secure community- what so many of us take for granted.
Lisa Mullenneaux
Lisa Mullenneaux