By BOB SANDERS
A letter signed by 67 Jewish residents of New Hampshire calling for a ceasefire in Gaza has been delivered to the state’s US Senators and Representatives. The statement also calls for halting U.S military aid to Israel, release of hostages, and allowing humanitarian aid to be delivered in Gaza.
Read letter here: https://indepthnh.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/letter3.pdf
“We, as New Hampshire Jews, are horrified by the atrocities Israel is committing in Gaza, backed by U.S. military aid. Incessant Israeli bombing and military action has killed more than 30,000 people, the majority of them women and children, and wounded tens of thousands more,” the letter begins. “These numbers don’t count many more deaths due to disease and famine caused by Israel’s intentional destruction of the Palestinian infrastructure, its blockage of the vast bulk of humanitarian aid, and its brazen attacks on hospitals,” it says.
The signers of the letter said, “We strongly condemn Hamas’s despicable and barbaric attacks on October 7. Yet that horror does not excuse killing at least 25 times as many Palestinians, whether it be in the name of revenge or security.”
“Israel’s actions serve no long-term strategic purpose. For every actual Hamas terrorist killed, Israel is creating many more potential terrorists in their place. We understand Israel’s right of self-defense, and we vigorously oppose anti-Semitism, but Israel’s morally indefensible overreaction has only fueled Jew-hatred that is putting both Israel and all Jews at greater risk,” the letter said.
The signers of the letter, from more than two dozen New Hampshire towns and cities, called on Senators Shaheen and Hassan, and Representatives Kuster and Pappas to work for three goals:
1. An immediate and sustained ceasefire. Besides the importance of stopping the war, a ceasefire must lead to the immediate release of all hostages so they can be returned to their loved ones.
2. Full humanitarian aid via UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees). This group has been providing aid on the ground for years, and it is the only entity with the capability to reach the masses of people in need. Air drops and seaport shipments with no ground network in place simply aren’t enough to prevent mass starvation and a humanitarian crisis of unimaginable proportions.
3. Suspension of military aid to Israel for its actions in Gaza and the West Bank. Our tax dollars and our weapons should not go to massacre any more people, especially children. By its reckless and brutal actions, Israel has forfeited the right to receive additional, unrestricted American military aid.
“We, as Jews, know all too well that dehumanizing others can lead to unimaginable tragedy. When six million Jews were murdered in the Holocaust, so many people and nations said nothing. This history is why we cannot remain silent in the face of Israel’s conduct,” the letter concludes. “We want to make it clear that this is not being done in our name. That is why we must speak out to end this war now.”
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