Say NO to the Ecocide of Gaza! Free Palestine!
People’s Earth Day Speech by Shawn Rodine, member of the Anti-War Committee, on 4/19/2025 @ the MN State Capitol
During the Vietnam War, the U.S. military dropped over 11 million gallons of Agent Orange on the country of Vietnam. It not only destroyed millions of acres of trees and crops but also increased rates of cancer, birth defects, and other illnesses among the Vietnamese people and U.S. soldiers who were exposed. The awful effects of Agent Orange have been known for a long time, but the U.S. has never once apologized for its use. I say SHAME!
American biologist Arthur Galston labeled the U.S.’s actions in Vietnam ’ecocide’ – the first known use of the word. Ecocide is defined as:
“Any act that is committed knowing that it will likely cause severe, widespread and/or long-term environmental damage.”
Backed by the U.S., Israel’s genocide against the Palestinians has also been an ecocide. Since 1967, Israel has destroyed around 800,000 Palestinian olive trees. The olive tree has long given life to the Palestinian people as a source of income, a food staple, and much much more. A single olive tree can bear fruit for hundreds of years. It is strong, enduring, and resilient, much like the Palestinians. And its eradication is an attempt to eradicate the Palestinian people.
Palestinian water has also been under attack. With U.S. bombs, Israel has destroyed water treatment systems, polluting aquifers and wetlands in Gaza. In fact, before October 7th, over 97% of the water in Gaza was considered undrinkable. 97%! What would we do if 97% of Minnesota’s water were undrinkable? We would NOT find those conditions tolerable.
Trump is promising to continue the ecocide of Palestine by turning Gaza into the “Riviera of the Middle East.” But we don’t have to let that happen, do we? The Anti-War Committee has found over 5 billion dollars of Minnesota pension and taxpayer money invested in apartheid Israel. These funds, managed by Governor Tim Walz and the State Board of Investment, are helping to carry out Trump’s despicable agenda. You can visit the website DIVESTMN.COM (that’s DIVESTMN.COM) for more information.
We need to tell Governor Walz to DIVEST from Israel’s ecocide and Trump’s agenda. And we need to fight for a free and green Palestine.
VIVA VIVA PALESTINA
