While currently, a ceasefire holds in Gaza, more than 500 democrats, part of Joe Biden’s 2020 campaign, have signed an open later urging the President to hold Israel accountable and protecting Palestine.
One of the more vocal democrat and socialist, Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez, has taken an opposing stance since the beginning of the conflict to the centrist Joe Biden, who has had a pro-Israel stance his entire political career. The President is now being pushed to take a firmer stance against Israel.
According to the US’s own reports, more than 230 Palestinians have been killed so far, with dozens of buildings having been razed, while 12 Israelis were killed due to retaliatory fire from Hamas.
The letter reads:
“We commend [Biden’s] efforts to broker a ceasefire. Yet, we also cannot unsee the horrific violence that unfolded in recent weeks in Israel/Palestine, and we implore you to continue using the power of your office to hold Israel accountable for its actions and lay the groundwork for justice and lasting peace.”
It further adds:
“The very same values that motivated us to work countless hours to elect you demand that we speak out … we remain horrified by the images of Palestinian civilians in Gaza killed or made homeless by Israeli airstrikes.”
Read More: Israel uses Quran to legitimize its bombing on Muslims
Even the most neutral politicians accept the growing disparity in military capabilities between the two sides, which makes the ongoing occupation hardly a justifiable act, which is clear from the following lines in the letter.
“While Israelis had to spend nights hiding in bomb shelters, Palestinians in the Gaza Strip had nowhere to hide. It is critical to acknowledge this power imbalance – that Israel’s highly-advanced military occupies the West Bank and East Jerusalem and blockades the Gaza Strip, creating an uninhabitable open-air prison,”
The letter did seem to have a visible effect as Biden has sent the secretary of state, Antony Blinken, to the Middle East issuing the following statement:
“Following up on our quiet, intensive diplomacy to bring about a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas … Blinken will meet with Israeli leaders about our ironclad commitment to Israel’s security.”
“He will continue our administration’s efforts to rebuild ties to, and support for, the Palestinian people and leaders, after years of neglect.”
Since the US has designated Hamas as a “foreign terrorist organization, ” they cannot directly contact them, instead relying on third-party members such as Egypt and Qatar to try and keep communication channels open.
However, one of the most interesting facts about the letter is that it even consists of American Jews as signatories who do not see the acts by Israel as justifiable, showing positive signs towards a future mutual agreement being possible.