Download .pdf leaflet
Download .pdf leaflet (California)
Download .pdf leaflet (Baltimore)
End the U.S. Government Support for Israel’s Genocide of Palestinians
The U.S. government continues to fund the ongoing genocide against Palestinians – a tragedy that has now escalated into Palestine’s West Bank, leaving behind a trail of devastation, suffering, and the resurgence of polio in the area.
Israeli officials have admitted that, without U.S. support, Israel would have been unable to continue its onslaught of Gaza for more than a few months. And yet, we are now in the eleventh month of Israel’s genocidal campaign, with over 40,000 murdered, nearly 100,000 injured, and thousands more unaccounted for.
On August 28th, Israel carried out its most destructive attacks in the West Bank in over 20 years, targeting refugee camps in the cities of Jenin and Tulkarem with airstrikes, drones, and battalions of soldiers. Homes were bulldozed, streets were torn up, and at least 36 Palestinians were killed. The number of those slaughtered continues to grow.
Far-right Israeli leaders, including Foreign Minister Israel Katz, have openly called for a “Gaza-style” operation in the West Bank – a chilling acknowledgment that they intend to carry out the same genocidal tactics seen in Gaza. The killing of at least 680 Palestinians in the West Bank since October 7th underscores the acceleration of this deadly campaign, which can be seen as nothing short of genocide. Beyond the violence, Palestinians now face a severe health crisis. Polio, a disease once thought to be eradicated, has returned. In Gaza, water, food, and medical infrastructure have been bombed into shambles. In the West Bank, checkpoints and movement restrictions make it nearly impossible for people to access healthcare and basic resources. As a result, bacteria and viruses run rampant with minimal tools to prevent diseases from spreading.
The only response so far has been brief pauses in Israel’s attacks to allow for a polio vaccine campaign. Without a lasting ceasefire to accompany the vaccination effort, this seems aimed more at preventing polio from spreading to Israel or nearby regions than at saving the lives of Palestinian children – many of whom risk being killed while trying to reach needed aid.
Even citizens of Israel have reached a breaking point: hundreds of thousands protested their government’s handling of negotiations over hostages being held in Gaza. Despite the massive protests against the policies of Prime Minister Netanyahu and the Israeli government, the vast majority of Israeli citizens do not oppose the attacks on Gaza and the West Bank.
As the 2024 U.S. election season ramps up, Kamala Harris’s campaign postures itself as an alternative to the violence of Trump and a growing right wing. Trump once said that Israel should “finish the job,” referring to the ongoing extermination of Palestinians in Gaza. But Harris, while offering more sympathetic language toward Palestinians, has maintained the same policy stance towards Israel as the Biden administration.
The Democrats, clinging on to the idea of being on the “right side” of history, have nothing more to offer than lip service. While the Israeli occupation expands, crushing the lives of Palestinians under its boots and bombs, the Biden administration continues to supply military aid. Recently, the U.S. approved a $20 billion weapons deal with Israel, committing to supply fighter jets and missiles in the coming years, with the Pentagon reaffirming its commitment to Israel’s “security.” After all, Israel’s government acts as an arm of the U.S. to control the labor and resources of the Middle East.
As the election cycle unfolds, the support for Israel from both Republicans and Democrats remains firm, and the genocide continues, fueled by U.S tax dollars. The U.S. politicians are united in their bloody policies. They rely on violence abroad – and at home – to maintain their power around the world. They are united, and we must be too, but against these so-called world leaders and the system they defend.
Since October 7th, opposition to U.S. government policies has intensified. Massive protests have called for an end to Israel’s occupation of Palestine and the destruction of its peoples. Millions have rallied and demonstrated in cities around the world. Students have occupied campuses. Workers have formed pro-Palestine groupings to organize demos to make their opposition heard. But the politicians ignore the protests.
In every way we can, we must continue and increase our opposition to this genocide. The Israeli assault on Palestine has not stopped – our activity can’t stop either.
Baltimore, Maryland: Hotel Workers React to Poor Staffing and Pay
Hotel workers at Baltimore’s Inner Harbor Hilton went on a Labor Day strike, marching against low wages and short staffing. Workers on the picket line said that even when working two jobs, they struggle to afford rent and pay their bills on time. In total, over 10,000 hotel workers across the country walked off the job to demand better treatment, including over 2,000 workers in San Francisco.
When hotels reduced their service levels at the beginning of the pandemic in 2020, they laid off countless workers. Now, travel has bounced back and room rates are at record highs, but barebones staffing levels remain. Hotel chains are squeezing as much as they can out of too few workers.
Hotel workers deserve fair and dignified treatment. Workers everywhere must stand up and speak out.
Newark, New Jersey: Another Death by Cops
In Fort Lee, New Jersey, 25-year-old Victoria Lee’s brother called 911 to request an ambulance because his sister was having a “mental breakdown” and needed hospitalization. When told the cops would also come, he tried to cancel the call, but it was too late. Minutes later, five officers were at the family apartment, but no medical personnel! They broke the door down and, when Lee came towards them with a folding knife, an officer immediately fired one shot, mortally wounding her.
Lee was the fifth person to be shot and killed by police in New Jersey in 2024, where cops kill an average of 19 people per year. For New Jersey and the rest of the U.S., death by cop is a normal part of life.
Bay Area, California: Criminalizing Homelessness: Not a Solution
California’s new state law criminalizes homelessness and is leading to plans for large-scale encampment sweeps to evict people. In the Bay Area, where the housing crisis is severe due to high rents and cost of living, the state is opting for punitive measures instead of addressing the root issue. Instead of tackling the unaffordable cost of living, poverty, and health issues, the state is focusing on raiding and incarcerating the unhoused. There is no question that in the Bay Area something must be done to address this crisis, but rounding up and imprisoning people is not the answer. Housing and access to basic needs should be human rights, not reasons for punishment.
The Triangle, North Carolina: Return to School Under Attack
Universities have used the summer to implement new policies to repress student activity after a spring of encampments for Palestine.
At University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill, one student is still suspended, and multiple others face criminal charges after the brutal police crackdown on the five-day encampment.
Over the summer, the university made multiple unpopular changes. They dismantled all Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion departments across the UNC system. They dissolved the century-old, student-run court for campus misconduct. They installed security cameras across campus. They fired a professor after recording his class without his permission. The Board of Governors installed a Chancellor with no credentials for the position—all he has are his political connections to wealthy and powerful conservative interests.
These attacks work to silence student dissent on campus and intimidate us. They reveal how undemocratic our institutions are.
