I think the world would be a better place if the U.S. and Israel knew when to throw in the towel and admit failure. Whether it’s Israel’s genocide on Gaza or the U.S. strikes on Iran last Saturday, this bloodthirsty duo is hellbent on destroying every corner of our planet that refuses to submit to Western hegemony. They get away with it by declaring fake military goals to us, broadcasted on war criminals’ social media accounts and parroted by Western mainstream news outlets. If we’re going to be honest about the U.S. and Israel’s actions across the Middle East and, frankly, the entire globe, we’d call it what it is: terrorism. 

While they are killing children and starving people, The Heritage Foundation created "Project Esther" to shut down groups like CODEPINK and others who stand against genocide — and the Trump Administration is following it like a playbook. We get repression while the president of The Heritage Foundation, Kevin Roberts, gets rewarded with book deals by subsidiaries of HarperCollins, one of the biggest and most respected publishing companies.

Tell HarperCollins to stop publishing people who support genocide!

According to the U.S. and Israel, the genocide in Gaza is supposedly to “defeat Hamas” and the strikes on Iran are meant to stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons. But those who don’t mindlessly glorify the U.S. and Israel can clearly see their real intentions and know that this strategy of brute force will fail every time. In fact, it is the very resistance to this brute force that has made Palestinians and Iranians a target of U.S. and Israeli violence in the first place. We can see by now that these “military goals” are merely a veneer to hide their real objective: Western control of the Middle East to exploit and control the region’s resources and enrich the already-wealthy Western elite. Also, just for the record, Hamas has 40,000 fighters — the same number they started with 20 months ago — and not only does Iran not have any nuclear weapons, but the U.S.'s airstrikes failed to destroy Iran’s nuclear sites. So much for achieving military goals, right?   

This is where you and I come in. I know it’s hard to imagine everyday people like us taking on this massive war machine, but, call me crazy, I think we’re the ones who should. And I don’t mean that in an American-savior-complex way; I mean, as people living in the belly of the beast, it is our responsibility to do whatever we can to stop this violence — even if it comes at a personal cost. Our tax dollars have been used to murder millions of people in the most horrific ways, and our government tells us it’s necessary for our safety and security. But what about the safety and security of the people of Gaza and Iran? We owe it to them to stop this. And it’s better for us, too. Can you imagine how good life in the U.S. could be if we didn’t spend a trillion dollars on war? We might actually be able to buy groceries and go to the doctor without fear of going bankrupt. 

If we are going to keep organizing to stop wars, we need to protect our civil society organizations and hold people who are trying to shut down dissent accountable. While Kevin Roberts of The Heritage Foundation tries to silence our popular movement through Project Esther, publishing companies like HarperCollins reward him with book deals. 

Add your name to the petition telling them: Uplift Peace, Not Genocide!

The truth is, we have more in common with the people of Gaza and Iran than we do with the war criminals who bomb and murder them. Our government wants us to dehumanize them because seeing them as human beings would get in the way of their ethnic cleansing plans. We see their humanity, and we learn from their bravery; we witness their dignity in standing up to their oppressors. Western imperialism has a lot to gain if the American people become mindless drones who believe everything the U.S. and Israel say. It is up to us to expose the propaganda and challenge it with action.   

I’m unbelievably proud to say that so many of you are. Our amazing group of CODEPINKers from all over the world just returned from the global March to Gaza where they attempted to break the siege by marching on foot from Cairo to Rafah. They faced severe repression from the Egyptian government and still came back ready to take the next action. I want to share some of their inspiring thoughts with you:

"When I started realizing what was happening in Palestine, my entire life changed — I was doing everything I could locally, but it didn't feel like enough. As a mother and as a human, I couldn't continue to watch the horrors without doing more. So, when I heard about the Global March to Gaza, I knew in my heart and soul that I needed to be there. I literally had to leave my own child behind and be ‘that change I wished to see in the world.’ Honestly, I don't think the world can heal from all of this unless it can see that there are millions of people who truly care about the liberation of Palestine and demand an end to the atrocities being committed against the Palestinian people. We must say NO loudly and in every way until it ends — we must go above and beyond. We owe that to the people of Palestine, to humanity, and to our future generations who will one day ask us what we did to stop this." 

— Lauren Love, California 

“When I first heard about the march, I was told I'd be crossing 220 miles of desert in 120 degree heat. I took about 15 minutes to check a map and look up "heat stroke," and my answer was that I can probably handle that, so I bought a plane ticket. I knew I wouldn't be the fastest or the slowest with the world represented alongside me. I came because no matter how overwhelming the information we're confronted with may be, there's always one simple thing to defer to and it's the words of the people in Gaza. For the last nearly two years, I've heard them ask ‘where is the world’ and ‘why aren't the people coming to save us.’ This was an opportunity for me to answer that call.”

— Macy, Washington

“We are all at a turning point. There is no going back to the status quo. We can’t give up — because the people of Gaza haven’t given up. And we won’t stop — not until we see a Free Palestine no longer living under apartheid. Jews, Christians and Muslims deserve to live together in equality and peace. A Free Palestine means a free Sudan, a free Kashmir, a free Congo, a free Rohingya, and a free world. Everything starts with Gaza.”

— Ann Ghazy, Ohio

Hear all about the March to Gaza at our Report Back Webinar on July 10!

👉 Here are other ways to engage: 

• Tell Congress to Stop the Escalation on Iran
• Take action! Use our Iran Rapid Response Toolkit and review our talking points.
• Read about the #MaskOffMaersk victory!
• It’s not too late to join our summer school: Feminists Resisting Fascism.
• Order pink keffiyehs from the West Bank!
• Order our new "I Love Palestinian Liberation" Tee!

Until Liberation,
Nour and the entire CODEPINK team