Our Movement Must Continue! Free Palestine!

Speech by Christine Hauschildt, member of the Anti-War Committee, at our protest on May 22, 2021 in south Minneapolis

Thanks for coming out today.  It’s important that we are here – not just because the people of Palestine have a just cause, not just because killing children is always wrong, not just because ethnic cleansing is wrong – but also because our tax dollars are paying for these atrocities!  The US gives 3.8 billion dollars every year to Israel – mostly in military aid.  In addition to that Biden has authorized an additional $735 million dollars worth of “smart bombs” to Israel while Israel has been using these same allegedly “smart” missiles to kill over 200 Palestinians in the past 2 weeks.  It is absolutely criminal that Biden is sending more weapons to a country which is engaging in ethnic cleansing.  Do you want to pay Israel’s war crimes?  I don’t either.  

Every year, including during this pandemic, we are told that important social supports like universal healthcare, education, and housing are unattainable because of lack of funding. But don’t believe that lie.  The government is choosing to spend it killing people instead.  We need our tax dollars spent helping people, not funding  the violent oppression of the Palestinians.

Even though Israel has publicly announced a ceasefire we don’t know if it will hold.  But even if it does there is no way to bring back all the lives lost.  Additionally there has been no plan stated publicly for rebuilding the schools, hospitals, and the COVID testing facility that have been demolished for providing care for the physical or mental health of the people in Gaza.  Israel hasn’t said they will stop their ethnic cleansing in Sheikh Jarrah.  A ceasefire doesn’t mean an end to the 14 year blockade of Gaza.  A ceasefire doesn’t mean an end to apartheid.  A ceasefire doesn’t mean an end to home demolitions or checkpoints.  This violence will continue just potentially not on the front page of the New York Times.

The fact of the matter is, there cannot be justice until the occupation is over.  Until Palestinians have rights on their own land.  That means that our movement here can’t stop or slow down.  We need to do what we can to end Israel’s occupation!

Some Democrats are finally stepping up as a result of our organizing, protesting, and speaking out! 

In MN some of our politicians are hearing us.  Representative Betty McCullom and Representative Ilhan Omar are pushing a bill to end aid to Israel and we need to support them.  Unfortunately we have other members of Congress like Representative Dean Phillips and Representative Angie Craig who instead have come out in support for unconditional aid to Israel.  Raise your hand if you live in one of their districts.  We need you to call, email, and harass your Congresspeople.  Tell them you expect them to listen to their constituents! And if they don’t, do not re-elect them! 

The Israeli narrative is crumbling  because the truth cannot be hidden. People all over the world are looking at the reality of what US weapons do to Palestinians, of what the IDF does to children and how IDF tactics are used for crowd control in Brooklyn Center and to kill George Floyd a year ago in Minneapolis.  Lets keep this momentum going!

The people of Palestine are under attack!  What do we do?  Stand up; Fight back!