Dear Politicians:
I understand the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) heavily contributes to the campaigns of US politicians on both sides of the aisle. This is a problem. It leads to unwarranted support of the Israeli government. Now when the Axis powers were in the business of exterminating the Jewish population, it made sense to be Allied with those who would protect Israel. But now that an extremist Israeli government is being the aggressor in exterminating Palestinians, we absolutely should NOT be supporting the genocide in Gaza in any way, shape, or form.
This is not to say Hamas was justified in their actions. They are also an extremist faction. But dealing with Hamas should not involve the slaughter of innocent civilians and children. War is not the tool for ending war. For every individual who is killed, they leave multiple family members and friends who are inclined to extract revenge and retaliation on the group responsible for the death of their loved one. Every day that more people are allowed to be killed, even more people are being angered into carrying this war on and on and on.
I am by no means an expert on this subject, so I will keep this short. I highly recommend that each and every person in Congress and the Executive Branch listen to Brene’ Brown’s series of 3 podcasts on the subject speaking to citizens from both Israel and Palestine who are working toward a peaceful future.
- Ali Abu Awwad and Robi Damelin on Nonviolence as The Path to Freedom for Palestinians and Israelis
- Rula Daood and Alon-Lee Green on Standing Together
- Khaled Elgindy on his book Blind Spot: America and the Palestinians, from Balfour to Trump
And with that, I urge President Biden and every other person with any influence at all to call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire between Israel and Palestine.
Thank you.
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Brene’ Brown question #3: What's one piece of leadership advice that you've heard... that is so good you need to tell us about it... or so terrible that you need to warn us? My answer: I once had a boss tell me I needed to speak up more in meetings. She said, “Just talk what’s in your head. There’s good stuff in there. Just say it.” For me, being a person who is introverted and on the quiet side by nature, that was advice I needed to hear. After a 30-year career, I am certainly no longer shy about letting my voice be heard in meetings. Sometimes, I have even been thanked for speaking up when others didn’t. So I try to pass that same advice to younger staff who are hesitant to speak up. What's your answer?
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