Joshua Feinstein of Jewish Voice for Peace Detroit made the following remarks to a meeting of the International Peace Coalition on Jan. 26, 2024
It's really good to see everybody. I won't use the word happy, but it's good to be here today, especially with, although it is mixed news coming out from the ICJ, the decision to move forward is welcome. This is historic.
So, what I'd like to do over the next few minutes is just discuss with you all Israel's war on Gaza with a perspective from American Jewry. As Anastasia mentioned, my name is Joshua Feinstein; I am a proud Jewish-American who is the son of a Holocaust survivor. So, our collective history – that of the Jewish people – instills with us this profound understanding of when one group is targeted for extermination. Today, that is just what we are witnessing. War, oppression, and horrors inflicted on the innocent people of Gaza.
So, bear with me as I give you a quick recount of firsthand experience. Earlier this month, I was in my in-laws' living room a world away in Beirut, Lebanon, when a missile fired by the Israeli military struck one of the residential buildings down from our home. As usual, the neighboring government felt they were entitled to ignore international law and the sovereignty of another nation. My reaction was, I swiftly got up; I checked on my family to make sure everyone was OK. I turned to my father-in-law, and I said, "Can you believe this?" His response to the danger was that he was unfazed, like most people in the region. They are so used to the Israelis invading and attacking civilians with impunity, there is a sense of entitlement, arrogance, and callousness in the Israeli government mindset. I look at, on the other hand, there is this incredible resilience in the people of the Levant. They have this inner strength and determination that's been sharpened by decades of enduring the threat of Israeli aggression as a part of everyday life.
So, make no mistake; that attack in Beirut was nothing compared to the torment that is being inflicted on the innocent people of Gaza. Today, we are witnessing the subjugation and ethnic cleansing in Palestine that is on par with the Holocaust. It is on par with South Africa's apartheid, and with 400 years of oppression right here in America.
I know you all are aware that as of today, 25,000 souls in Gaza have been murdered by the Israeli military. And as you all know, it is my government, the United States government, that provides the overwhelming funding for those atrocities. We have given $317.9 billion to Israel; that's $317.9 billion with a "B"; barely any questions asked. It's just incredible what we could have done with this money. With $16 billion, we could have provided healthcare to millions of low-income families. With $35 billion, we could have delivered healthcare for everyone who is uninsured in the US. With $20 billion, we could actually have ended homelessness here in America. Instead, our money is being sent overseas. So, while we struggle with no funding for housing, healthcare, clean water, and education, our money is busy being spent bombing the children of Gaza.
You all know this that in the time that it takes us to conclude this Zoom call, statistics guarantee that 12 children in Gaza will be slaughtered. One child is killed by Israel every 10 minutes. In the face of this horror, what's amazing is that the Palestinian courage is unwavering. They continue to document their own genocide, and with honor and resolve they make this solemn pact with one another; it's a binding death wish that they beseech to one another, "Take care of my child when I die." "When I die," not if I die, but when I die.
We as Jews now have an enormous responsibility and an obligation to speak up. We must declare that the Israeli government's genocidal actions do not represent us; just the opposite. Underpinning the Jewish faith is this notion of tikkun olam, our first priority is to repair the world, raise up humanity, and walk with others in the path of equality. So, as I'm sitting on the call with all of you, I want to just make loud and clear that everyday throughout this country, and especially here in Michigan, more and more Jews are standing up and saying, "Not in our name. Never again means never again; not just for the Jewish people, but for everyone and anyone everywhere."
So, yes, it has been 100 days, but my last message to you all is to keep speaking up, keep raising your voice; keep educating; keep pushing; keep protesting. As I close out, I'm going to extend an invitation to all of you. Join us. We're journeying from city to city, from country to country, to demand permanent ceasefire. I'm very proud to say that Michigan where I live right now has the highest number of city and county ceasefire resolutions in the United States. We are tied with California, a state that has four times as many people. This has been made possible by people such as yourselves; a diverse coalition representing all faiths and backgrounds and ethnicities.
So, the other part is, come and march with us. It doesn't have to literally, but just figuratively, as we challenge the United States government and their financial backing of Israel. I know you all are doing that already, but consider this another ally coming to the table.
Lastly, let's continue to stand together as we work together for a free Palestine. Thank you for listening, and thank you for your solidarity. I'm very happy to be here. Again, air quotes on the word happy; I'm just glad that I'm with you all today.
