Fresno woman calls for accountability and justice for Palestine in Gaza conflict | Opinion
For 76 years, Palestine has been a battleground, a land marred by the horrors of genocide, ethnic cleansing and oppression. Today, I write not just as a Palestinian-American, but as a voice for the voiceless, a defender of human rights and a bearer of truth.
On Oct. 7, yet another chapter of brutality unfolded in Gaza. The death toll has now surpassed 33,000, with evidence suggesting that these numbers may be severely under-reported. Among the victims, tragically, are thousands of innocent children. Each day, a hundred Palestinians are mercilessly murdered, their bodies mutilated, their lives stolen. The psychological trauma inflicted upon survivors is unimaginable.
Recently, seven foreign aid workers fell victim to a calculated attack by Israeli occupying forces. Their marked vehicles were systematically targeted, a deliberate act of violence that cannot be brushed aside as mere coincidence. This massacre is a stark reminder of the impunity with which Israel continues to operate.
As an American taxpayer, I am appalled that over $3.3 billion of our hard-earned money is sent to Israel annually, funding a military machine that wreaks havoc on innocent lives. President Biden’s approval of 25 F-35 fighter jets and 200-pound bombs to Israel only exacerbates this injustice.
Meanwhile, our own infrastructure crumbles, our health-care system fails, and our education system languishes.
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Let us be clear: This is not the United States of Israel. This is the United States of America. The failure to hold the Israeli occupation accountable sends a dangerous message about the extent of power wielded by our leaders. It suggests a willingness to prioritize political alliances over principles of justice and human rights. This cannot be tolerated.
The lack of consequences for these violations raises serious questions about the power and integrity of American leaders, including the president of the United States.
The recent visit of Speaker of the House Mike Johnson to Fresno highlights the extent of this corruption, where a fundraiser was held for him, hosted by construction-company owner Richard Spencer and his wife Karen.
Johnson is a staunch supporter of the Israeli occupation. He has been bought and paid for by pro-Israel lobbyist groups such as AIPAC. In the ongoing conflict in Palestine, political rhetoric often masks the harsh realities faced by innocent civilians. It is crucial to scrutinize the statements and actions of politicians, particularly when they perpetuate double standards that undermine justice and perpetuate suffering.
One such example is Rep. Johnson’s stance on ceasefires, which reveals a troubling bias and disregard for the plight of Pales.nian prisoners.
While publicly advocating against ceasefires until Israeli captives are released, Johnson conveniently ignores the thousands of Palestinian prisoners languishing in Israeli jails under administrative detention for years.
This form of imprisonment allows Israeli authorities to detain Palestinians indefinitely without charge or trial, or access to a lawyer or their families, a blatant violation of human rights. Shockingly, among these detainees are many children, robbed of their freedom and childhoods without due process or legal recourse.
By failing to acknowledge the plight of Palestinian prisoners, Johnson reveals a glaring double standard in his approach to this occupation. His insistence on releasing Israeli captives while disregarding the suffering of Palestinian detainees perpetuates injustice and inequality. It is a shameful display of hypocrisy that undermines efforts towards a just and lasting peace in the region.
This issue is personal. I am a Palestinian-American taxpayer with family in Gaza and the West Bank. I refuse to remain silent as my people suffer under the weight of occupation and siege. Palestinians deserve respect, dignity, justice and freedom.
The cry “from the river to the sea” is a call for liberation from checkpoints, apartheid walls and oppression. It is a plea to live as equals in our ancestral lands, to worship freely, to breathe without fear.
It is time for accountability. It is time for justice. It is time for the world to stand with Palestine.
Layla Darwish of Fresno is a Palestinian community activist and the founder of the Palestine Freedom Project
