Over 400 Capitol Hill staffers who are Muslim and Jewish have signed an open letter directly calling on their bosses to demand a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
Muslim and Jewish staffers and allies joined the effort, with 407 staffers signing the letter, according to Politico. The signatories are anonymous out of concern for the staffers’ safety and job security, the staffers said.
IVY LEAGUE SCHOOLS LOSE DONORS AMID ANTI-ISRAEL STUDENT ACTIVISM
“Today, we write to implore our bosses, Members of the United States Congress, to join calls for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Millions of lives hang in the balance, including the 2.3 million civilians — half of whom are children — in Gaza, civilians in Israel, and Jews and Muslims around the world,” the staffers wrote.
In addition to the ceasefire, the staffers called for the safe return of Israeli hostages and the passage of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip. Israel called for a “total siege” of Gaza, cutting off electricity, food, water, and fuel.
The letter highlights the urgency for ending the conflict “with antisemitism, anti-Muslim, and anti-Palestinian sentiment on the rise nationwide,” naming the 6-year-old Palestinian American child killed in an alleged hate crime attack in Plainfield, Illinois.
While they “appreciate” members of Congress condemning the Hamas attacks against Israel, the staffers said they want to see equal support for Gaza and Palestinians.
“We have appreciated seeing nearly every Member of Congress express quick and unequivocal solidarity with the Israeli people, but we are profoundly disturbed that such shows of humanity have barely been extended to the Palestinian people,” the staffers wrote. “Only a fraction have called for a ceasefire or at least cessation of hostilities. We believe that Palestinian civilians deserve to be remembered, mourned, and defended with the same rigor that Jewish Israelis deserve from the U.S. Congress.”
The letter comes after President Joe Biden and the State Department declared that the United States will stand in solidarity with Israel as it fights against Hamas. This has led to “Squad” Democrats, such as Reps. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) and Ilhan Omar (D-MN), blasting the Biden administration for supporting the “occupation” of Israel.
Biden is seeking more than $100 billion from Congress to address the war in Israel, as well as for Ukraine, bolstering Taiwan, and securing the U.S. border. On Thursday, the president called for the rejection of antisemitism and Islamophobia “without equivocation” at home while pledging support for Israeli security and Ukrainian sovereignty.
“We must denounce violence and vitriol,” he said in an address to the nation.
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The Capitol Hill staffers said in the letter that while Biden’s and Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s efforts to offer and restore humanitarian aid are necessary, “this progress is fragile.”
“As Muslims, Jews, and allies, we believe that denying these basic resources violates the tenets of our faiths, values, and our humanity,” the staffers wrote.
