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Open Letter for Palestine to San Diego Officials

may 21, 2021

We, the undersigned individuals and organizations, call on you––our public officials–– to take urgent action in regards to Palestinian rights. For too long, Palestinians have faced the brutality of military occupation, the theft of their land and livelihood, and the denial of their basic rights at the hands of Israel.

In the month of May alone, the world has borne witness to the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in real time. In the Jerusalem neighborhoods of Sheikh Jarrah and Silwan, the Israeli state and settlers have been colluding to violently displace Palestinian families from their homes. In Al-Aqsa Mosque, Israeli police and military forces assaulted Palestinian worshippers during the holy month of Ramadan with hand grenades, tear gas, and rubber bullets. As we write, Israeli airstrikes have killed over 200 Palestinian civilians and injured over 1,600 in the Gaza Strip.

Israel’s perpetuation of ethnic cleansing campaigns and crimes of apartheid are directly enabled by the U.S. government’s $3.8 billion of military funding annually. No one can deny these realities. Those who choose to justify this violence are standing on the wrong side of history. It is well within your power and responsibility to take action today and to join us in writing a more just future.

We call on our public officials across San Diego County to immediately heed the following demands from San Diego’s Palestinian community joined by a broad base of supporters, including good government, civil rights, advocacy, direct service organizations, and your constituents throughout San Diego County who put you in office.

We call on you to:
(1) Issue a public statement condemning Israel’s occupation of Palestine and apartheid laws. Uplift Palestinian rights, namely their basic rights to education, healthcare, movement, and above all- the rights of Palestinian refugees to return and live dignified in their homeland.
(2) Pledge to end any and all local police training programs with the Israeli military because they lead to the excessive militarization of our streets and police brutality against our communities of color.
(3) Support federal resolutions and bills that condition and end U.S. military funding to Israel, including Rep. Betty McCollum’s House Resolution 2590, better known as the Palestine Children and Families Act - Federal and ACOI bill.

The time to act is now. We demand that you publicly respond to our open letter by Wednesday, June 2, 2021.

Signed,

  1. Palestinian Youth Movement - San Diego

  2. American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) San Diego Chapter

  3. American Muslims For Palestine - San Diego

  4. Islamic Center of San Diego

  5. KARAMA

  6. Majdal: Arab Community Center of San Diego

  7. Middle East Rights Association (MERA)

  8. Act Now to Stop War and End Racism (A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition) - San Diego

  9. African Coalition Workforce

  10. AMALY

  11. Anakbayan San Diego

  12. Asian Solidarity Collective

  13. Black Lives Matter - San Diego

  14. BIPOC Educators Association of North County San Diego

  15. Borderclick

  16. Borderlands for Equity

  17. Center for Interdisciplinary Environmental Justice (CIEJ)

  18. Colectivo Zapatista

  19. Detention Resistance

  20. Escondido Young Democrats

  21. The Feminist Front

  22. Free Them All San Diego

  23. Jewish Voice for Peace San Diego

  24. League of Young Communists USA

  25. Los Geys de Esco

  26. March for Black Womxn San Diego

  27. Muslim American Society - MAS PACE

  28. Muslim Student Association - MSA West

  29. Party for Socialism & Liberation - San Diego

  30. Philippines-U.S. Solidarity Organization of San Diego (PUSO San Diego)

  31. Plan of Action in a Changing Era

  32. San Diego Progressive Democratic Club

  33. San Diego State University-Community Based Block (SDSU-CBB)

  34. San Diego State University-Students for Justice in Palestine (SDSU-SJP)

  35. San Diego Tenants Union

  36. San Diego Urban Sustainability Coalition

  37. San Diego Veterans For Peace

  38. Showing Up for Racial Justice San Diego (SURJ-SD)

  39. Socialist Alternative San Diego

  40. Somali Bantu community of San Diego

  41. Students for Justice in Palestine at Chapman University

  42. Sunrise Movement San Diego

  43. United Against Police Terror San Diego

  44. US-Mexico Border Program at the American Friends Service Committee, San Diego

  45. Union del Barrio

  46. United Women's East African Support Team (UWEAST)

  47. We All We Got San Diego Mutual Aid

  48. Youth Will


    [last updated June 8, 2021, 8 PM]

    Contact: pym.sandiego@gmail.com