IT'S TIME FOR PEACE!
LET'S WORK TOGETHER, SUPPORT THE HEROES & STOP THE KILLING!
This weekend marks the unofficial start of summer, but for many watching or who are impacted by the continued violence in Gaza and beyond, it means the start of another season of suffering and fear.
For more than seven months now, the world has witnessed unconscionable horror. In the past few days alone, the Israeli military has displaced nearly one million people in Rafah — it likely wasn’t the first time they’ve been forced to flee because of the threat of bombs and bullets.
Our small team at Win Without War remains undeterred in our pursuit of a ceasefire that can end the violence and create the space for a sustainable peace across Israel and Palestine. While there is much to grieve and be enraged about, today I wanted to share something different. Because amidst incredible despair are amazing stories of heroism and hope.
Days ago, Palestinian journalists covering Gaza were awarded the 2024 IPI-IMS Press Freedom Hero Award. The list of named individuals includes Wael Dahdouh, Al Jazeera Arabic’s Gaza bureau chief, who has continued reporting despite unimaginable personal suffering and loss. Learn more about why he has risked his life to “be the world’s eyes and ears”.
This will be the first time a collective group has won the award, and the decision is a testament to the incredible resilience and perseverance these journalists show each day.
There’s also Adam Hamawy, a former U.S. Army combat surgeon who refused an evacuation from southern Gaza earlier this month. Instead, he chose to stay with colleagues who were unable to leave because they weren’t U.S. citizens. His courage became a call to action that got the attention and support of multiple members of Congress, including Senator Tammy Duckworth, whose life he saved in Iraq 20 years ago.
On Tuesday, CNN reported that Hamawy — and 15 others — have been safely evacuated. He remarked, “We are glad that we are out and that we all left together. Our hearts are with the people who still have to endure and cannot leave.”
This list includes people like Magen Inon, whose parents were killed on October 7 and who spoke in person at a London event that was part of the 19th Israeli-Palestinian Joint Memorial Day Ceremony hosted by Combatants for Peace and the Parents Circle–Families Forum, two peace-building organizations earlier this month. Mr. Inon refuses to let the violence that has happened to his family be ‘hijacked’ for more war and now works as a peace activist.
And that brings me to you. If you’re reading this, you’re likely one of the tens of thousands of people who have taken action or donated in support of peace these past few months (and possibly even long before!). And the simple truth is that you give me hope.
This moment may be dark, but this weekend, if you’re able, I encourage you to find a moment to see these, and other, bright spots. Thank you for being part of that light — and if you’re itching or inspired to dig deeper, here are three things you can do right now:
- Speak Out. Urge President Biden to go further in conditioning U.S. support of the Israeli government as it wages a brutal war in Gaza. If you’ve already signed, please consider sharing with 5 friends to help us build more power.
- Stay Ready. U.S. voters have an incredible amount of influence when it comes to influencing U.S. foreign policy — and how it impacts people’s lives worldwide. It all starts at the ballot box. Check to make sure your voter registration is up to date so that you’re ready for November.
- Support.
- To end the violence in Gaza and across the region, we need to ramp up our advocacy, movement support, ad campaigns, grassroots mobilization, everything. All that work takes incredible resources — but that’s where you come in. We’re still working to unlock our May Match Challenge, please consider donating today.
- If you’re looking to support those who are directly in harm's way, Doctors Without Borders (MSF), is a trusted organization that does vital, lifesaving work on the ground in Gaza and elsewhere. You can support their work here.
It’s not easy to be someone who refuses to look away and continues to speak out. There’s no shortage of worthy causes that are less painful to engage with. But you and I know that when people turn away, the cycle of violence can continue.
That’s why together, our community is inspiring something beautiful: By refusing to give up in ways big and small, we are the ones who will build the more peaceful world we all want and deserve.
Sara, on behalf of the Win Without War team
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