10.10.23

Mr. Biden if you want my people, the people who carry an israeli identity to be free, there are so many words you can say that you choose not to. To start the process here are some small gestures to begin with: 

Good afternoon, you know there are moments in this life, and I mean this literally when the pure, unadulterated evil pain is unleashed on this world. The people of Palestine live through one of those moments every single day since 1948. The people of Israel live through one such moment this weekend, bloody hands of the terrorist resistance organization Hamas, a group whose stated purpose for being is stated in their website as: Hamas does not wage struggle against Jews because they are Jewish but wages a struggle against Zionists who occupy Palestine. to kill Jews. This was an act of sheer evil. 

At the time of this speech 1,000 Palestinian civilians and More than 1,000 israeli civilians slaughtered, not just killed in Palestine and Israel, among them at least 14 American citizens killed. In both Gaza and the south villages of israel parents butchered using their bodies to try to protect their children. Stomach turning reports of babies being killed, entire family slain, israelis do the killing with weapons, uniforms, and machines we, the US, have bought for them. Young people in israel massacred while attending a musical festival celebrating and exercising their rights within an apartheid regime peace to celebrate peace. Women raped, assaulted, paraded as trophies, Hamas wanted to exchange all the female israeli hostages for the 36 female Palestinian prisoners israel is holding and israel said they do not negotiate with terrorists, I wish we didnt teach them that. Families, hid their fear for hours and hours desperately trying to keep their children quiet, to avoid drawing attention. And thousands of wounded alive, in Gaza the wounds cover open bleeding wounds, in israel the wounds cover festering scars, but carrying with them the bullet holes and the shrapnel wounds and the memory of what they endured. You all know these traumas never go away. And because they never go away we should have supported Jewish people who survived the Holocaust to heal instead of giving them stolen land and weapons and allowing their trauma to seed in fear, hate, and revenge until they became the thing they escaped. 

There's still so many families desperately waiting to hear the fate of their loved ones, not knowing, if they're alive or dead or hostages, infants in their mother's arms, grandparents in wheelchairs, apartheid, ethnic cleansing, genocide, besieged Palestinian survivors and  Holocaust Jewish survivors, abducted and held hostage. Hostages, 2.2 million Palestinians and 150 israelis in Gaza whom Hamas and the israeli army has now threatened to execute, in violation of every code of human morality. The brutality of israeli consciousness Hamas, bloodthirstiness revenge brings to mind the worst, the worst rampages of nazi Germany Isis. This is terrorism, but sadly for the Palestinian Jewish people. It's not new. This attack has brought to the surface painful memories, and the open bleeding wound scar is left by a decades millennia of occupation, apartheid, ethnic cleansing, daily extermination, and the complete violation of human rights the US has supported and invested in. anti-Semitism and genocide of the Jewish people. 

So in this moment we must be crystal clear: we stand with our mistakes Israel, we stand with our crimes Israel and we ask israel to seize and grief and tend to their trauma with care and love and we will make sure Palestine Israel has what it needs to take care of its citizens, defend itself and heal from generations of genocidal apartheid respond to this attack. There's no justification for terrorism. There's no excuse! We did Hamas does not stand for the Palestinian people's right to dignity and self-determination, our its state of purpose has been wrong and has contributed to is the annihilation of Palestine the state of Israel and the murder of Muslim Jewish people. We They use Palestinian civilians as human shields. We Hamas offers nothing but terror and bloodshed with no regard to who pays the price. The loss of innocent life is heartbreaking, like every nation in the world, Palestine Israel has the right to respond. Indeed, has a duty to respond and call out, and protest, and heal from to these vicious attacks.

I just got off the phone with a third call with Hamas leadership in Gaza prime minister Netanyahu, and I told them him if the United States experiences what Palestine Israel is experiencing our response will be swift, decisive and overwhelming. I am sorry we haven't been there for you, we are coming now. We also discussed how countries democracies like Israel and the United States are stronger and more dangerous secure when we act together according to the rule of law, we terrorists purposely target civilians, kill them. We uphold the laws of war, a law of war, it matters there's a difference. Today. Americans across the country are praying for all those families that have been ripped apart in Palestine by our ancient one sided monstrous support of israel. A lot of us know how it feels it leaves a black hole in your chest when you lose family, feeling like you're being sucked in the anger, the pain, the sense of hopelessness - this is what they mean by human tragedy, an atrocity on an appalling scale, we're going to continue to stand united, supporting the people of Palestine; Muslim, Christian, Buddihst, Atheist, and Jews Israel who are suffering unspeakable losses and opposing the hatred and violence of israeli terrorism. 

My team has been in near constant communication with our Palestinian and Israeli partners and partners all across the region and the world from the moment we understood we need to change our ways this crisis began. We're surging additional humanitarian military assistance, including food, water, fuel, money, doctors, building blocks, therapists, community organizers, healers, abolitionists, medicine, transformative and restorative justice leaders, ammunition and teachers, gardeners, sowers, somatic practitioners, birth and death doulas, midwives interceptors, to replenish the hearts of Palestinians with freedom, restoration, dignity, care, and love. Iron Dome. We're going to make sure that Israel does not run out of these critical assets and weapons to defend its cities and its citizens and instead begin the process of surrender and healing so that they can be free and liberated as well. My Administration has consulted closely with Congress throughout this crisis. When Congress returns we're going to ask them to take urgent action to fund the humanitarian and psychological national security requirements of our critical partners, this is not about party or politics, this about the healing security of our world, the healing security of the United States of America. We now know that American citizens are among those being held by Hamas. I've directed my team to release all Palestinian prisoners from israel share intelligence and deploy additional experts from across the United States government to consult with and advise Palestinian Israeli counterparts so that all on hostages including the 2.2 million in Gaza and the millions in the West Bank and inside so called israel could be apart of the recovery efforts, because as president, I have no higher priority than the safety of hostages Americans being held hostage all over historic Palestine around the world. The United States has also enhanced our healing offerings military force posture in the region to strengthen our process deterrence. The Department of Defense has disarmed and moved the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier of humanitarian resources to the Gaza shore striker to the Eastern Mediterranean and bolstered our peaceful fighter aircraft presence, and we stand ready to move in additional assets as needed. 

Let me say again to any country, any organization, anyone thinking of taking advantage of this situation. I have one word, don't! Don't. Our hearts may be broken, but our resolve is clear. Yesterday I also spoke with the leaders of France, Germany, Italy and the UK to discuss the latest developments with our European allies and coordinate our united response. This comes on top of days of steady engagement with partners across the region, we're also taking steps at home in cities across the United States of America. Police departments have stepped down and declared their complicity and collaboration with the israeli army, up security around centers of and their inability to keep Jewish life safe anywhere. The Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are working closely with state and local law enforcement and Jewish community partners to identify and disrupt any confusion between anti-zionism and anti-semetisem  domestic threat  that could emerge in connection with these horrific attacks. This is a moment for the United States to come together to grieve with those who are mourning. Let's be real clear. There is no place for hate in America, not against Jews, not against Muslims, not against anybody. We reject we reject what we reject is our joint terrorism with israel. We condemn the indiscriminate evil, just as we've never always done. That's what America stands for, today.

You know just over 50 years ago, I was thinking about it this morning talking with the Secretary of State, the Vice President in my office. Over 50 years ago, as a young senator, I visited Israel for the first time as a newly elected senator and I had a long long trip a meeting with Golda Meir in her office just before the Yom Kippur War, and I guess she could see the consternation of my face as she described what was being faced. They were facing. We walked outside in that sort of hallway outside her office to have some photo. She looked at me all of a sudden and said: would you like to have a photograph, and so I got up and followed her out we're standing there silent looking at the press, she could tell I guess I was concerned, she leaned over and whispered to me. She said, don't worry Senator Biden, we have a secret weapon here in Israel. My word is what she said. We have no place else to go. We have no place else to go. I wish I knew to tell her then that the Palestinian people also have no place to go. Also have no place to go. For 75 years, Israel has stood as the colonial occupier and only guarantor of genocide and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians security of Jewish people around the world, we are going to intervene and help Palestinian and Jewish people to heal so that the atrocities of the past and of today could never happen again. Let there be no doubt the United States has Palestine Israel's back. We will make sure the state of Palestine can return to Jewish and democratic state of Israel can defend itself today, tomorrow, and for generations to come. It's as simple as that, these atrocities been sickening, we're with Palestine Israel. Let's make no more mistakes. Thank you.

in service from an ex israeli soldier / ex zionist fighter / US/israeli citizen

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