U.S. Must Stop Enabling Israeli Genocide, Halt All Military Assistance, and Stand for Equal Rights and International Law
Brooklyn For Peace has been devoted to supporting peace built on justice, equality and human rights as embodied in International Law for over 40 years. We are heartbroken and devastated by the loss of lives and the destruction that has been ongoing in Gaza, as well as in other parts of the world.
We believe that permanent peace in the Middle East can only be achieved by a historic compromise between the Israeli and Palestinian peoples in accordance with UN Resolutions and International Law. Although we recognize that Israel’s attacks on Palestinian sovereignty have been on-going since Israel was established as a state in 1948, we strongly condemn the October 7 attacks on Israel and the taking of hostages. However, Israel’s response of killing tens of thousands of civilians, cutting off food, water and supplies, making most Gazans homeless, and destroying the health care and educational systems in Gaza, is a war crime far out of proportion to any reasonable measure of response.
Furthermore, Israel’s continuing occupation of Palestine, with its ongoing siege of Gaza, expansion of settlements in the West Bank, and annexation of East Jerusalem contravene International Law and deny Palestinians their fundamental human rights, including the right of self-determination. South Africa’s genocide case against Israel in the International Court of Justice has been joined by ten countries including Spain, Ireland, Mexico, Turkey and the State of Palestine. We condemn Israel’s breach of the ceasefire agreement, its escalated ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in Gaza, and its plan to take over the Gaza strip.
The United States government has played a major part in the injustices committed against Palestine by providing unqualified diplomatic, political, economic and military support to Israel. We condemn the position of our own government and call on the United States to stop enabling Israeli policies; to stop sending funding and weapons to Israel, and to withdraw its unqualified diplomatic and political support for these policies at the United Nations. We ask for the release of all remaining hostages taken on October 7 as well as all political prisoners held by Israel. We also call for the United States to resume its funding of UNRWA as all the other leading donor countries have done. As UN Secretary-General Guterres has stated, “There is no alternative to UNRWA” in providing lifesaving aid to the region. Finally, we are appalled at the criminalization of First Amendment free speech in the U.S. in support of Palestinian rights, and call for an end to the harassment, arrest and deportation of those who speak out for a Free Palestine.
Adopted by BFP Board of Directors May 24, 2025
