Seeds Will Grow

Cross-posting this email received from Mubarak Awad, founder of Nonviolence International, with more from me afterward.

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Wednesday, we are expecting to see Joint Resolutions of Disapproval (JRDs) in the US Senate blocking offensive arms sales to Israel to be brought to the floor by Senator Sanders – and supported by Senators Merkley, Schatz, Welch, Van Hollen, Warren, and Kaine for a vote… lobbying is a nonviolent action and stopping the weapons is a great way to nonviolently stop the war. Please read this email and call. And get at least one friend to also call. And call them a second time tomorrow.

This is a HUGE DEAL. Never before has the Senate voted to withhold weapons to Israel.

The bill numbers are:

S.J.Res.111 (120mm tank munitions),

S.J.Res.112 (8-ton cargo trucks),

S.J.Res.113 (120mm mortar cartridge),

S.J.Res.114 (F–15IA aircraft),

S.J.Res.115 (Joint Direct Attack Munitions – JDAMs),

S.J.Res.116 (Joint Direct Attack Munition receivers)

While we are not certain yet which of these will receive a vote, Nonviolence International strongly urges your two senators to vote YES on any of these resolutions that come up for a vote, and to issue a public statement signaling their support for this legislation ahead of the vote.

Call them now! +1 (202) 224-3121

These JRDs are specifically targeted to block certain offensive weapons which have been thoroughly documented to have been repeatedly used by the Israeli military in attacks that have killed civilians in densely populated areas.

These arms sales do not affect Israeli defensive weapons systems such as Iron Dome or David’s Sling.

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Jennie again here. For those who don’t understand why these weapons need to be blocked, let me just share the story of Ismail, a Gazan friend of a friend of mine. I’ve been following his story, praying for his family’s safety, and trying to help them safely escape Gaza for months.

Ismail and his family’s entire apartment complex was destroyed.
His workplace (a university) was destroyed.
He, his wife, and their 6 children
have been displaced 9 times
moving from tent to tent
following the “civilian safe zones”
declared by the occupying military power.

In one of those “civilian safe zones”
his children went to wash at the water spigots
at the nearby house of worship.
Then Ismail and his wife ran to find them
when the sound of an explosion
quickened their hearts
and flooded their bodies
with adrenaline.
They found their children
alive
near the shell
of what had been
a house of worship.

In the next “civilian safe zone”
where they moved,
50 of their neighbors were burned alive
when their tents ignited
after being shelled.
The smell of melting nylon and burning flesh
seared in his children’s memory.

In their current “civilian safe zone,”
Ismail shares one classroom
with 21 other people.
This classroom is their bedroom
living room
kitchen
dining room
collectively.

His daughter just turned 2 years old.
They managed to celebrate her life
in that room
with a cake
two candles
and a birthday song.

Please scroll to the top of this message now and call your Senators to save civilian lives – maybe to save this family. Get a friend to call, too. Call again tomorrow.