Hope and Change for Gaza? Yes, we can.

Now the dust is settling in Gaza. Now we are collectively exhaling sighs of relief that no more Gazans are being killed, they are now only dying of treatable injuries made fatal by lack of medical supplies, medical personnel, and medical infrastructures like hospitals. Now puppet leaders who sold the Palestinians down the river years ago are lunching over how to "solve Gaza" and Israel is saying it will "continue" to negotiate with its Arab neighbors (note: its Arab neighbors in Gaza are not included). Now America-- and a large part of the world-- is celebrating the ushering in of Hope and Change with President Obama. Now Gazans are sifting through rubble and collecting bodies (and body parts) to try to identify and bury (where I don't know...as the graveyards are either full or bombed). Now the foreign press has entered and witnessed the carnage first hand.

Now the hard part comes.

The ongoing rage is subsiding, as pictures of dead babies fade to the background and calls for inquiries on war crimes come to the forefront. This latest round of massacring has produced an unprecedented level of open criticism of Israel. Calls for boycotts are being taken seriously across the world. People are finally organizing in a seemingly productive way for Palestinian rights. Because now-- this momentum-- is what will carry us forward to ensure that this never happens again. We need to continue this movement. Continue raising money. Donating time, talent, resources. Writing letters to the editor. Attending rallies. Writing poems. Convening town hall meetings. Attending town hall meetings. I attended a rally yesterday in which the speaker relayed at the last town hall meeting, they formed a Union of Mothers, and a Union of Bodega Owners (itihaad ashaab al mahalat, "wa kolna ashaab al mahalat") which promised to boycott Israeli goods. This movement of boycott was a strong force against Apartheid rule in South Africa. It should be embraced and executed to pressure Israel to respect Palestinian rights. We must keep up the momentum. Admittedly this becomes harder and harder with each day that "the Gaza crisis" fades into the memory of "another episode of violence in the Middle East". But we must remain organized. We cannot only be reactive to these atrocities. We must be proactive to prevent them from ever happening again. We must organize so Gaza does not keep rebuilding to point zero, but can move on and move forward and grow as a society and people have the right to. This is in all of our hands. It is incumbent upon us to use whatever means we can-- donations, art, writing, boycott, organizing-- so Gaza may live freely. So that one day justice may rain down on Gaza, and never again phosphorous bombs.

To Americans-- take a minute and write your representative and call President Obama ((202) 456-1111) and remind him that Hope and Change apply also to Palestinians. This only takes a minute and it is imperative that our voices are heard. It is unacceptable that a week ago, calls supporting Israel's actions outnumbered those condemning it 10:1. Get on the phone. You can also email him at president@whitehouse.gov



SAMPLE LETTER (please edit and personalize it!)

Dear Rep. ____,

As your constituent, I am very disappointed in your unwavering support for an Israeli operation in Gaza that everyday takes us further away from viable and sustainable peace in the Middle East.

The simple title of the resolution is troubling. While "reaffirming the United States' strong support for Israel," it includes "supporting the Israeli-Palestinian peace process" as a purpose. So clearly supporting Israel's actions, with little recognition of the humanitarian crisis that is and has been unfolding in Gaza, not only compromises American legitimacy in acting as a responsible broker of a peace arrangement, but threatens to make this conflict even more intractable. The more we back these extreme military actions without acknowledging grievances on both sides, the less we will be able to support a peace process. Most importantly, the more innocent Palestinian and Israeli civilians suffer.

Israel wants to protect its residents in the South, but is actually making life more dangerous for them, as it is clear that the operation is not achieving its stated goal of destroying Hamas's capability to fire rockets. Despite the beating it has taken, Hamas is still firing and probably will continue to. Gideon Lichfield, former JerusalemEconomist, questions whether deterrence works. "Deterrence has to be equal to the enemy's fear of defeat; when the only defeat is annihilation, there is no deterrence unless Israel is prepared to reduce all of Gaza to rubble." Hamas has shown that it will continue to fight back. Continued escalation of the conflict will not lead to a peaceful solution, but will only make life more miserable for the innocent civilians on both sides.

Apart from the humanitarian issue, I am concerned as an American that our legitimacy on the world stage has been severely compromised, fueling the fire of extremists who consider us their enemies. This is a national security issue, and I am concerned that we do not improve our own standing as an actor for peace or the prospects for peace in the region by blindly supporting Israel's more extreme policies, militarily and symbolically. If the U.S. wants to be a true friend to Israel, we ought to be willing to question its choices and determine that its actions are not always in the interest of regional stability.

I, and many other constituents in (STATE NAME), urge you to publicly express the need for an immediate cease-fire and resumption of aid flowing into Gaza.

As a Representative who believes in human rights and understands the importance of American standing in the world, take a stand. Do it for the Palestinians suffering under suffocating and hopeless conditions in Gaza, for the Israelis living in fear of rocket fire, and for Americans hoping that their country's legitimacy and standing in the world is not compromised.

Thank You,