Israeli army raids offices of Palestinian civil society and human rights groups: Time to #StandWithThe6
Israeli forces raided the office of our No Way to Treat a Child campaign colleagues at Defense for Children International-Palestine and welded their front door shut on August 18, nearly a year after calling them criminals for protecting & defending Palestinian children's rights. The Israeli army also raided the offices of six other Palestinian organizations: Al Haq, Addameer, the Bisan Center for Research and Development, the Union of Palestinian Women's Committees, the Union of Agricultural Works Committees, and the Health Work Committees.
AFSC joins in calling on U.S. leaders to speak out against Israel’s attempts to criminalize and silence those who have exposed the government’s human rights abuses.
Contact your member of Congress here.
Our new book Light in Gaza: Writings Born of Fire is published this month by Haymarket Books!
The New York Times Book Review describes it as "a searing collection anthologizes works by Palestinians from Gaza — some residents, some refugees — describing their lives under occupation and amid the ongoing struggle for freedom.”
Attacks on Gaza Escalate in August
On Aug. 5, 2022, Israel launched another military assault on Gaza. Over three days, the attacks killed at least 47 people—including 16 children—and injured over 300. Our AFSC Palestinian staff in Gaza share their experiences in a blog post on our redesigned Gaza Unlocked website.
Light in Gaza author and professor of English literature in Gaza, Refaat Alareer published about his children's responses to the bombing.
AFSC continues to call for an end to the blockade, and recommends these five ways you can support Palestinians in Gaza.
AFSC staff provided important context about Gaza on Twitter during the Israeli attacks this summer.
Other summer news
Pillsbury Boycott Win!
In early June 2022, General Mills announced that it had divested its Israeli business altogether, selling its stake in its Israeli subsidiary and ending the production of its Pillsbury products in an illegal settlement. Read more about this success here!
Continuing to Protest Demolitions
Tell Congress to End Support for Israeli demolition of homes and schools!
This summer, Israel has demolished dozens of homes in the Massafer Yatta region, in the Negev/Naquab desert, and in East Jerusalem, while continuing to create unbearable living conditions that force Palestinian residents to leave their communities. As of mid-July, Israeli authorities demolished 414 Palestinian homes and properties, displacing 522 Palestinians, according to the United Nations. Since the Israeli High Court ruling in May, the Israeli army has repeatedly harassed residents in these communities; destroyed their homes, cisterns, and animal shelters; and conducted military exercises in the area.
These displacements are part of an ongoing Israeli policy that forces Palestinians from their homes by confiscating property, denying building permits, and destroying homes. Israeli policies deliberately restrict Palestinian access to their lands, while expanding Israeli control and settlement colonies.
Justice for Shireen Abu Akleh
On May 11, Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh was killed by an Israeli sniper in Jenin. Calls for a full, credible, independent U.S. investigation into her killing continue several months later.