CPEHN Stands in Solidarity with the People of Gaza

Author Details

CPEHN Staff

ksavage@cpehn.org

The staff of the California Pan-Ethnic Health Network (CPEHN) are in solidarity with the Palestinian people and other oppressed people across the world. We understand that the Palestinian struggle is inextricably linked with many other movements for equality, justice, and liberation in the United States and around the world. We call for an immediate permanent ceasefire, U.S. divestment from genocide, immediate humanitarian aid and medical care — made even more imperative in light of the U.S’s recent decision to cut off funding for humanitarian aid through the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) — and ultimately the liberation of the people of Palestine.

CPEHN is rooted in a commitment to health equity, racial justice, and building power with Black, Indigenous, and communities of color since its founding in 1992. Our solidarity reflects our commitment to principles of equity, justice, anti-racism, and community empowerment on a global scale, contributing to a world where the well-being of all individuals is prioritized and protected. We condemn xenophobia, racism, anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, and all forms of hate and discrimination, both individual and institutional. We mourn the lives lost in both Palestine and Israel in this aggression and over decades. And we believe that we have a moral obligation to speak out against the atrocities being committed in our name.

As of this writing, more than 27,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli military air bombardments or ground assaults, a third of which have been children, with many more still buried under rubble and unaccounted for. More are at risk of dying from starvation, mass dehydration, contagious disease, and the collapse of the medical system as Israeli airstrikes and ground troops target ambulances, medical workers, and hospital after hospital, with only 15 health facilities remaining with “severely limited services.” Amidst indiscriminate bombings by Israeli forces, the ability to provide medical care is impossible. An immediate, permanent ceasefire is essential to prevent even more suffering and deaths.

As Israel’s bombardments and blockade of desperately needed aid, food, and supplies continue, famine looms in Gaza as well as a sanitation crisis compounded by infectious disease; lifting the siege to allow aid such as food, water, and medicine is critical. 

We must hold governments accountable for the institutional and state violence they perpetuate, including the genocide in Palestine being committed by the Israeli government with the support and financial backing of the United States government.

As a multi-racial staff committed to racial and health equity, we strive to address the root causes of health injustices and know that the work we do here is intimately connected to the struggle of the Palestinian people. The same tactics of dehumanization, occupation, forced migration, mass incarceration, surveillance, and police violence are used here and abroad. We know that the bombs and the illegal use of white phosphorus, made and manufactured in the U.S., are still raining down on the people of Palestine, and this moment calls on each and every one of us to act in transformative solidarity. Solidarity with Palestine reinforces our dedication to promoting health, justice, and equity.

In the words of Palestinian poet Rasha Abdulhadi, “Wherever you are, whatever sand you can throw on the gears of genocide, do it now. If it’s a handful, throw it. If it’s a fingernail full, scrape it out and throw. Get in the way however you can. The elimination of the Palestinian people is not inevitable. We can refuse with our every breath and action. We must.”

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