gaza

BREAKING: Today, the Senate unanimously passed the Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies Act (S. 1723)! This is “a landmark milestone in the fight for truth and healing,” FCNL’s Rachel Overstreet said. It is also a major testament to your advocacy and the courageous, persistent efforts of Native advocates and boarding schools survivors. Now, the House must follow suit and move swiftly to pass this vital legislation before the end of the 118th Congress on Jan. 3, 2025.

On Nov. 20, Congress held its first-ever vote to block offensive weapons sales to Israel. Senators voted on three Joint Resolutions of Disapproval (JRDs) Bernie Sanders had introduced to prevent the sale of specific offensive weapons used in well-documented Gaza human rights violations. While they did not pass, 19 senators voted in favor, marking a significant milestone for a growing movement to end the war in Gaza and a change in the nature of the US-Israel relationship.

So why was I excited about a vote that we were about to “lose?” Because at FCNL, where one of our core values is perseverance, our advocacy is never about one vote alone. We are prophetic, persistent, and patient.

This week, FCNL’s Daren Caughron reflected on his experience attending COP29, the latest of a series of major international climate conferences held annually since 1995.

In historic votes Wednesday evening, 19 senators sent a strong message: U.S. complicity in the Israeli government’s catastrophic war in Gaza is unacceptable and must end!

Hassan El-Tayyab, an advocacy organiser at the Friends Committee on National Legislation, a Quaker social justice group, described the upcoming vote as “historic”. He said the resolutions send a message to President Joe Biden, his successor-in-waiting Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the “status quo is unacceptable”.

On Wednesday, were thrilled to have hundreds of Friends and advocates join us as we kicked off our 2024 Quaker Public Policy Institute (QPPI).

Reflecting on our time so far together, two words stand out: inspiration and gratitude.

Yesterday, we were inspired by the courageous advocacy of hundreds of advocates who went to Capitol Hill to stand up against U.S. complicity in the horrors ongoing in the Middle East.

The policy, humanitarian, and faith-based organizations — which include Amnesty International, the Friends Committee on National Legislation, and the Quincy Institute, publisher of Responsible Statecraft — expressed disappointment with Biden’s policy of “unconditional support of Israel paired with empty threats,” saying the policy has not yielded any meaningful results and serves to harm America’s global reputation.

“We are not for names, nor men, nor titles of Government, nor are we for this party or against the other.” Rather, “we are for justice and mercy and truth and peace and true freedom, that these may be exalted in our nation … that these things may abound.”
 

This week, we were grateful that millions of people participated in our democracy and that the elections were conducted in a broadly fair, free, and peaceful manner.

The 2024 election is officially underway, with millions casting votes this week ahead of Election Day next Tuesday.

With so much at stake, many are feeling anxious, concerned, and overwhelmed. You’re not alone.

We are gravely concerned over the threat of political violence. The threats of white Christian nationalism and authoritarianism. The threats against immigrants and many other marginalized communities.