Watermelon Wednesday #4: Israel and America: Terror Tag Team

“Bismillaahir-rahmaanir raheem”

(In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful)

Watermelon Wednesday is a weekly brief shared with our elected officials to ensure they are aware of Israel’s aggression, the Palestinian experience, and our country’s complicity in this genocide and international war crimes.

Violence escalates in Gaza and beyond, even during Christian holy days. Calls for peace and justice are increasingly drowned out by bombs and censorship. The following is a summary of last week’s developments, informing a pattern of unchecked brutality, global outcry, and deepening U.S. complicity.

Israel Remains Indiscriminately Ruthless:

• Israel continues its indiscriminate destruction, even against Gaza’s Christians amidst Christian holy days.
  • 4/13 – As Gaza’s Christians celebrate their religious holidays including Palm Sunday, Israel doesn’t stop its strikes. [AP]
  • 4/13 – Israel prevents thousands of Palestinian Christians from attending Palm Sunday service in Jerusalem [Middle-East Eye]
  • 4/13 – Israeli missiles hit Gaza’s al-Ahli hospital, putting the emergency department out of action. [NYT]
  • 4/14 – Israeli forces have bombed a UN-run aid center in Khan Younis surrounded by dozens of tents. [Al Jazeera]
  • 4/14 – Israeli forces killed six brothers who were distributing food to Gazans; the youngest was 10 years old. [AP]
  • 4/17 – UPDATE: Nearly 420,000 people estimated to have been forcibly displaced between March 18th and April 16th. [UNRWA]
  • 4/18 – Israeli airstrikes hit about 40 targets across Gaza over the past day. [Reuters]
  • 4/18 – About 95% of the 43 aid groups in Gaza have already suspended or cut their services in Gaza, amid widespread bombing. [Al Jazeera]
  • 4/19 – At least 219 people have been injured in attacks since Good Friday, including many children. [Al Jazeera]
  • 4/19 – Israeli bombardment of Gaza kills 92 in two days. [Al Jazeera]
• The Israeli authorities are unfazed by the absurdity of the genocide.
  • 4/13 – A Palestinian Red Crescent Society staff member who went missing in late March is being detained by Israeli authorities. [Middle-East Eye]
  • 4/16 – Israel will not allow any humanitarian aid to enter Gaza purposefully to pressure Hamas, said Israeli Defense Minister. [Reuters]
  • 4/17 – Israeli troops will remain in buffer zones in Gaza even after any settlement to end the war, said Israeli Defense Minister. [BBC]

Rubble of al-Ahli Hospital, Gaza [Al Jazeera]

Voices for Gaza Amplify:

• The world continues to voice concern and attempt mediation.
  • 4/14 – Ceasefire restoration and hostage release talks in Cairo have ended in no apparent breakthrough. [Reuters]
  • 4/15 – U.N. Secretary-General was “deeply alarmed” at Sunday’s strike on al-Ahli hospital. [Reuters]
  • 4/15 – U.N. civil rights office voiced concern about the protection of civilians in Lebanon. [U.S. News]
  • 4/16 – Michael Mansfield, a leading English human rights barrister, says that Israel is carrying out “destruction of humanity” in Gaza. [Al Jazeera]

…As does America’s tyranny:

• The U.S. remains a staunch opposer of justice and peace.
  • 4/14 – U.S. State Department has approved potential sale of Eitan PowerPack engines to Israel for $180 million [Reuters]
  • 4/15 – U.S. immigration agents have arrested a Palestinian man, Mohsen Mahdawi, who led demonstrations at Columbia University. [Newsweek]
  • 4/18 – A federal judge ordered Trump’s administration to transfer Rumeysa Ozturk from being held in Louisiana to Vermont. [CBS]
  • 4/18 – U.S. State Department cable reveals that social media posts could lead to screening of visa applicants. [Al Jazeera]
• The U.S. expands the frontier of destruction to Yemen.
  • 4/14 – U.S.’s bombardment of Yemen has killed at least 123 people, mostly civilians, since mid-March [Al Jazeera]
  • 4/18 – U.S. strikes on Yemen’s Ras Isa fuel terminal killed at least 74 people. [BBC]
  • 4/19 – U.S. attacks on Yemen again after at least 80 people killed in Hodeidah; U.S. chief says he is “gravely concerned”. [Al Jazeera]

Mohsen Mahdawi detained at Citizenship and Immigration office in Colchester, Vermont [Al Jazeera]

Takeaways:

• Israel’s brutality extends to all Palestinians at all times, including Christians.
• The rest of the world is continuing to call for peace in the Middle East.
• Yet America and Israel continue expanding operations.
• And the federal government continues suppressing free speech.

As your constituents we expect you to:

• Ensure our freedoms and rights.
• Represent our concerns while influencing lawmaking.
• Act with morality and courage.