End genocide, war crimes in Palestine

Thanks South Africa (invoking the genocide convention joined by Israel MK Ofer Cassif) and Yemen (blocking ships to/from Israel) for challenging genocide, ethnic cleansing, war crimes, and democide in Palestine. We need a ceasefire. USA and Israel have shown contempt; most human rights organizations and UN nations condemn USA and Israel atrocities (backed by UK/EU) against Palestinians for 75 years. The Nakba never ended.

Harm to Palestinians: 5 percent of Gaza dead, missing, or wounded; 30,000 dead and missing; 8,000 dead children, 55,000 wounded, 600 families assassinated, over 500 health care workers killed, and 110 journalists (and many of their family members) killed through 29,000 bombs and targeted assassinations; 70 percent of homes in Gaza destroyed; 90 percent of Gazans unable to inhabit their homes and forced to move when nowhere in Gaza nor the West Bank is safe.

Multiple massacres, torture, use of illegal bombs with force exceeding two nuclear bombs dropped on Japan, white phosphorous, bunker buster bombs; destruction of homes, businesses, farms, bakeries, water and sewage plants, infrastructure, schools, cultural sites, places of worship; IOF soldiers and Israel citizens mock Palestinians in racist caricatures. 

Settler colonialism is a racist, Zionist disaster making people of all faiths/beliefs less safe for 75 years in Palestine and abroad. Many Israelis are furious with Netanyahu “Bombing Bibi” for IOF’s gaps on Oct. 7.

Failing to believe the intelligence, bombing Israelis fleeing terror with “friendly fire,” failing to secure all hostages and return them, bombing their own hostages due to the horrific Hannibal doctrine, thousands of Israelis displaced from their homes due to rockets and bombings, and thousands of dead and wounded IDF soldiers

“ … meanwhile an entire Gazan (and increasingly West Bank) population is traumatized from displacement, bombings, torture, murder, starvation, dehydration, destruction of schools, universities, the library, mosques, churches, bakeries, farms, and no discernable military objectives achieved.

Most USA politicians are complicit: Right-wing extremist Democrats and Republicans and Likud/ultra-right wing parties (constant calls for genocide) in Israel.

The s/heroes are every Palestinian, USA, Israeli and world citizen who challenges endless war, trauma, vengeance, revenge. The s/heroes are everyone fighting to exchange well-cared for hostages and prisoners, everyone refusing service in the IDF or the USA war machines, aid workers delivering aid despite colleagues’ murders, and every Palestinian child, parent, grandparent, health care worker and journalist murdered in a genocide. 

Conflating critiques of Israel with antisemitism, restricting BDS, big tech and billionaires demanding restrictions on Israel critiques, restricting free speech for citizens opposed to genocide and USA/Israeli war crimes, and corporate media as mouthpieces for war profiteers and “genocidaires” are failed strategies to quash dissent.

Time for a ceasefire and no-fly zone over Gaza, the West Bank, and to stop bombing and assassinations in Gaza, the West Bank, Iraq, Lebanon, and Syria; for an immediate arms embargo and stop funding Israel including two rounds of ammunition President Biden gave without congressional approval; to end all donations from AIPAC PAC & DFI to USA politicians; to end settlements with full right of return for Palestinians worldwide.

Time to end possession of nuclear weapons by Israel — as regional war brews, and to halve the USA military budget (no need to fund 800+ military bases) and end poverty, student debt, medical debt, the affordable housing crisis, and create single payer health care. 

Time for adequate, unimpeded food, water, fuel, clothing, and housing aid for all in Gaza and protection of aid workers in Gaza; to fund and rebuild the physical and mental health of Palestinian and Israeli survivors; to rebuild one nation welcoming all faiths/beliefs; for a state of Palestine with self-determination and equal and full voting rights, land back, and reparations. 

As a professor, I’ve watched colleagues assassinated in Palestine and every university in Gaza destroyed; my colleagues, students, and alumni have been intimidated and doxxed for speaking out against genocide, ethnic cleansing, war crimes, and democide. 

The author is a professor at Lehman College.