PALESTINIAN LETTER TO CONGRESS
Dear Members of Congress,
We are a collective of Palestinians in the U.S., and your constituents, supported by allies from a range of justice movements, working for freedom for the Palestinian people. Today, mass movements are demanding political leaders fight for policies that advance liberation over the status quo. In this spirit, our call for freedom must be heard.
Time and time again, our elected officials have excluded Palestinians from policy conversations, erasing our narratives, our dreams, and our rights. Excluding us leads to policy that perpetuates violence and prevents a just resolution for all. The U.S. continues to sideline and dehumanize the Palestinian people using racist tropes, and to criminalize any resistance to Israel's ongoing military occupation and dispossession of our people from our land. In Gaza, Palestinians protesting 13 years of a violent Israeli blockade and airstrikes are reduced to two-dimensional victims or aggressors. All the while the U.S. exempts Israel from any measures of accountability for its settlement construction and ongoing violations of Palestinian human rights using taxpayer funding.
We seek life-giving policies. We implore you to consider a simple solution to this dead end in U.S. policy towards Palestine and Israel: center those most harmed by violence and oppression—the Palestinian people—and follow their vision for a free, just, and peaceful future for all. We are Palestinian. We are your constituents. And we demand a foreign policy that values our lives and futures.
Palestinians want to be free. They want to be free from harm, to travel to school or work or a hospital without an Israeli soldier pointing a gun in their face. For Palestinians to be free, the U.S. must stop funding Israel's military, which regularly engages in violations of human rights and international law without accountability. Condemnations of annexation that carry no consequences ring hollow. We must stop spending U.S. taxpayer dollars on weapons and war and oppression, and start investing in our collective wellbeing. We are witnessing positive shifts. A whopping 75% of Democrats prefer democracy and equality to Israel's status quo, and 56% of Democrats polled supported sanctions on Israel for its settlement expansion.
In response to growing support for Palestinian rights, members of Congress are stepping up. Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s Dear Colleague letter committed to advancing legislative accountability measures, while addressing ongoing de facto annexation and warning Israel against de jure annexation and its entrenchment of apartheid. Minnesota Representative Betty McCollum introduced H.R. 8050, which prohibits U.S. recognition of and funding for Israeli claims of sovereignty over any part of the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem. McCollum’s earlier bill, H.R. 2407, prohibits U.S. funding of Israel's abuse of Palestinian children.
We urge you to cosponsor these pieces of legislation and to draft and promote additional legislative vehicles that model the principles we have outlined in order to create the better world we know is possible.
For more, please read Freedom Is the Future, a vision and policy document drafted by Palestinians in the U.S. grounded in a deep commitment to collective liberation.
Sincerely,
Sign-on still accepted by Palestinian individuals, Palestinian organizations, and solidarity organizations here. For other individuals, please support this letter by signing here and tweeting here.
Palestinians in the U.S. (only early signers are listed below):
**Affiliations listed for identification purposes only
Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, Michigan’s 13th Congressional District**
Mike Abel, Activist, Delawareans for Palestinian Human Rights (DelPHR)**
Hatem Abudayyeh, National Chair, U.S. Palestinian Community Network (USPCN)
Rabab Abdulhadi, Director and Senior Scholar, Arab and Muslim Ethnicities and Diasporas Studies, San Francisco State University**
Nada Abuasi, President, Students for Justice in Palestine at UD (SJP at UD)**
Tarek Abuata, Executive Director, Friends of Sabeel North America
Osama Abuirshaid, Executive Director, American Muslims for Palestine**
Ahmad Abuznaid, Executive Director, US Campaign for Palestinian Rights
Joyce Ajlouny, General Secretary, American Friends Service Committee (AFSC)
Anais Amer, President, Wellesley Students for Justice in Palestine**
Huwaida Arraf, Vice President, New Generation for Palestine**
Zeina Ashrawi Hutchison, Activist & Delegate to the 2020 DNC**
Samia Assed, Chair, Albuquerque Center for Peace and Justice**
Sa’ed Atshan, Assistant Professor of Peace and Conflict Studies, Swarthmore College**
Rashad Al-Dabbagh, Executive Director, Arab American Civic Council - Anaheim**
Nihad Awad, National Executive Director, Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)
Sumaya Awad, NYC DSA**
Summer Awad
Alex E Awad, Co-Chair, Palestinian Christian Alliance for Peace**
Khalil Barhoum, President, US Palestinian Council**
Rania Batrice, Partner at WIN Media & Deputy Campaign Manager, Bernie Sanders 2016**
Hatem Bazian, Director, Islamophobia Research & Documentation Project at UC Berkeley & Professor and Co-Founder of Zaytuna College**
Lamis J. Deek, Human Rights Attorney, National Lawyers Guild & Organizer, Al-Awda**
Noura Erakat, Assistant Professor, Rutgers University**
Noura Khouri, National Committee Member, Al-Awda Palestinian Right to Return Coalition & Green Party National Delegate, California**
George Khoury, Core member, US Palestinian Community Network
Nada El-Eryan, Managing Director, Eyewitness Palestine
Nada Elia, Professor, Fairhaven College of Interdisciplinary Studies at Western Washington University**
Sofia Farah, American Federation of Ramallah, Palestine (AFRP)**
Burhan Ghanayem, Chairman of the Board, Voices for Justice in Palestine
Hanna Hanania, Board member, New Dominion PAC**
Mohammed Khader
Dima Khalidi, Director, Palestine Legal
Rashid Khalidi, Edward Said Professor of Modern Arab Studies at Columbia University**
Jonathan Kuttab, Co-Founder & Treasurer, NonViolence International**
Lara Kiswani, Executive Director, Arab Resource and Organizing Center (AROC)**
Ahlam Majadly, President, Students for Justice in Palestine - University of Maryland**
Rasha Mubarak, UNBOUGHT POWER**
Yousef Munayyer, Former Executive Director, US Campaign for Palestinian Rights
Rania Qawasma, Daarna: Everyone Deserves a Home, Seattle
Mazin Qumsiyeh, Board Member, Middle East Crisis Committee**
Loubna Qutami, Assistant Professor, Department of Asian American Studies, UCLA**
Hilary Rantisi, Senior Fellow and Associate Director, Religion, Conflict and Peace Initiative, Harvard Divinity School**
Lawrence "Ren" Afif Tawil, Member, Palestine Justice Coalition**
May Seikaly, Retired Professor, Wayne State University, Detroit**
Barakat Saleh, Treasurer, Arab Americans of Central Ohio**
Bassem Saleh, Manager, George H. Pastor and Sons**
Emad Salem, Board Member & Former President, Muslim Democratic Caucus of Texas**
Rezik Saqer, Board Member, Palestinian American Cultural Center (PACC) - Houston**
Linda Sarsour, Executive Director, MPower Change
Jinan Shbat, National Organizer, American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee**
Sandra Tamari, Executive Director, Adalah Justice Project
Steve Tamari, Professor, Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville**
Nadya Tannous, National Executive Board Member, Palestinian Youth Movement
Amer Zahr, Board Member, New Generation for Palestine & Surrogate, Bernie Sanders 2016**
Palestinian-led organizations
1for3.org: Water - Food - Health - Education
Adalah Justice Project
Al-Awda, Palestine Right to Return Coalition
American Muslims for Palestine
Arizona Palestine Solidarity Alliance (APSA)
AROC (Arab Resource & Organizing Center)
Daarna: Everyone deserves a home, Seattle
Eyewitness Palestine
Friends of Sabeel North America
Islamophobia Studies Center
MPower Change
New Generation for Palestine
Northwest Ohio Free Speech Alliance, NOFSA
Palestine Legal
Palestinian American Community Center, New Jersey
Palestinian American Cultural Center, Houston, Texas
Palestinian Christian Alliance for Peace
Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM)
US Campaign for Palestinian Rights
US Palestinian Community Network (USPCN)
Vermonters for Justice in Palestine (VTJP)
Yalla Indivisible
Non-Palestinian endorsers
18 Million Rising
About Face: Veterans Against the War
Action Center on Race and the Economy (ACRE)
Alliance for Water Justice in Palestine
American Friends Service Committee (AFSC)
American Muslim Bar Association (AMBA)
Arab American Civic Council
Cafe Palestina
Center for International Policy (CIP)
CHANGE (Center for Health & Gender Equity)
Communication Workers Alliance
Corvallis Palestine Solidarity
Coulee Region Coalition for Palestinian Rights (CRCPR)
Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)
Delawareans for Palestinian Human Rights (DelPHR)
Disciples of Christ Palestine Israel Network (DisciplesPIN)
DSA BDS and Palestine Solidarity Working Group
Episcopal Peace Fellowship Palestine Israel Network (EPF PIN)
Fellowship of Reconciliation
Fight for the Future
Freedom To Thrive
GABRIELA USA
Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space
Grassroots Global Justice (GGJ)
Hindus for Human Rights
HRA:PI/CD3-IP (Human Rights Awareness: Palestine Israel/ Congressional District 3 - Israel Palestine)
Israel Palestine Mission Network of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
Israel/Palestine Task Force of Cal/Nevada Conference
Jewish Voice for Peace Action
Jewish Voice for Peace, Bay Area Chapter
Jewish Voice for Peace, Central Ohio Chapter
Jewish Voice for Peace, Chicago Chapter
Jewish Voice for Peace, New York City Chapter
Jewish Voice for Peace, Sacramento Chapter
Jewish Voice For Peace, Westchester Chapter
Jewish Voices for Peace, Western Massachusetts Chapter
Just Foreign Policy
Justice For Muslims Collective
Kairos West Michigan
Kairos USA
Kalamazoo Interfaith Coalition for Peace and Justice
Labor for Palestine
Madison-Rafah Sister City Project
MADRE
Maine Voices for Palestinian Rights
Massachusetts Against Israeli Annexation coalition (MAIA)
Massachusetts Peace Action (MAPA)
MediaJustice
Metro Detroit Democratic Socialists of America
Mid-Missourians for Justice in Palestine (MJP)
Mijente
National Lawyers Guild, Palestine Subcommittee
National Students for Justice in Palestine (NSJP)
Northfielders for Justice in Palestine/Israel (NJP)
Palestine Action Committee of Texas
Palestine Advocacy Project
Project South
Racine Coalition for Peace and Justice
Raha Iranian Feminist Collective
RAICES
Rochester Witness for Palestine, Inc.
Sakhi for South Asian Women
South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT)
The Feminist Front (FF)
Tree of Life Educational Fund
Unitarian Universalists for Justice in the Middle East (UUJME)
US Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (USACBI)
Veterans For Peace
Veterans For Peace, Santa Fe Chapter
Voices for Justice in Palestine
War Resisters League
Watertown Citizens for Peace, Justice, and the Environment
WESPAC Foundation
Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, Cape Cod Branch
Additional Palestinian individual signers
Summer Abdel
Mohammad Abdelrahim
Fahed Abuakel
Yara Abuata
Fadia Abulhajj
Mohamed Abushaban
Jacob Abu-Zeid
Nancy Adham
Nabil Alami
Rashid Al-Banna
Ibrahim Ali
Muhsin Alie
Eyad Alkurabi
Farhan Alqam
Abdullah Alshanteer
Sahar Al-Shoubaki
Sal Alswafta
Joseph Amash
Nadia Amer
Nadir Amra
Charles Awad
Jj Balictous
Yusif Barakat
Faris Barhoum
Khalil Barhoum
Daniel Bayley
Amahl Bishara
Talal Borno
Jonathan Brenneman
Nuzha Dajani
Thomas Dallal
Amal David
Shaher Elfarra
Karem Elhams
F Maria Elias
Grace El-Yateem
Wafic Faour
Dr. Ernest Far
Fuad Farradj
Sylvia Flefel
Aida Friedenreich
Lina Ghabayen
Manar Ghanayem
Lutuf Ghantous
Walid Ghantous
Nahida Gordon
Nimer Haddad
Lila Hadeed
Mahmoud Haleem
Samir Halteh
Hilda Halum
Nihaya Hamad
Zuhair Hamada
Yasmeen Hamdan
Lama Hantash
Lana Harel
Shafiq Hasan
Serene Hastings
Mohamad Issa
Nabil Jacir
Huda Jafar
Lucy Janjigian
Mk Kanaan
Linda Kateeb
Lea Kayali
Aida Khalil
Selma Khan
Samar Kharouba
Noura Khouri
Jamal Khoury
Leena Khurana
Amita Khurana
Nada Kiblawi
Atef Kreidli
Atef Kreidli
Nino Lama
Dalia Marchoud
Sue Mascuilli
Bisanne Masoud
Maher Massis
Sarah Matari
Ola May
John Mogannam
Maziyar Moghaddam
Lazaro Mohamed
Abedalhadi Mousa
Therese Mughannam-Walrath
Bahieh Musa
Mohammad Mustafa
Diab Mustafa
Amir Naddaf
Rima Najjar
Dominique Najjar
Suheil Nammari
Paul Noursi
Hasan Obedala
Henry Ode
Manal Ramadanl
Zainab Ramahi
Amal Randolph
Mo Ray-Zack
Dean Risheq
Vera Rizk
Sylvia S
Mohammad Saffouri
Jack Sahouria
Victoria Sahouri-Azer
Maisa Sammour
Rezik Saqer
Salwa Shamy
Rana Sharif
Kayid Shawish
Fathia Shawish
Nadia Shebaro
Ramzy Suleiman
Muawiya Tamimi
Kareem Tannous
Charles Tarazi
Balic Tous
B Tous
Samira Turk
Helane Wahbeh
Michael Wauschek
Shahla Werner
David Woldegabir
Nadal Yousef
Omar Zahzah
Batool Zaro
Younes Zayyad
Eanthy Zeltman