Minute in Support of Human Rights for Palestinian Children and their Families
Boulder Friends Meeting, October 10, 2021
(Based on Intermountain Yearly Meeting Minute of June 20, 2021)
Spirit leads Boulder Friends Meeting to affirm support for the American Friends Service Committee's No Way to Treat a Child campaign which exposes “widespread and systematic ill-treatment of Palestinian children in the Israeli military detention system." We are saddened by such violations of international law by the Israeli military. No child should be denied due process or be tortured.
We join with AFSC in supporting legislation halting the use of U.S. funds for governmental actions that oppress and cause suffering to Palestinian children, that displace families, demolish homes, and annex more land—all in violation of international law. These actions are the target of new legislation introduced by Representative Betty McCollum of Minnesota, HR 2590, "Defending the Human Rights of Palestinian Children and Families Living Under Israeli Military Occupation Act."
Friends deeply respect the religious tradition of Judaism and deplore the painful 2,000-year legacy of anti-Semitism and then, the Holocaust. The Israeli state has aimed to provide a safe haven for Jewish people. Yet, Israel has also now perpetuated a long military occupation, oppressing the Palestinian population and annexing their land. Led by our testimonies of Community, Equality, and Peace, we support HR 2590, thus ensuring that our tax money does not enable further violence toward Palestinian children and their families. We urge the establishment of peace and full human rights for both Israelis and Palestinians.