Veterans, Arizona Legislators, And Phoenix Community Leaders Call For Ceasefire In Gaza
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 9, 2023
CONTACT:
Jacob Thomas, Communications Director
PHOENIX, AZ – Today, the veterans of Common Defense, the nation’s leading grassroots organization of veterans, joined with more than a dozen Arizona lawmakers, Jewish and Muslim faith leaders, and community partners to demand an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. As veterans who have seen the horrors of war and conflict, we know the devastating consequences and long-lasting effects it will have on the people of Gaza as well as Israel.
On October 7, Hamas carried out a horrific attack on Israel that killed more than 1,400 people and injured thousands more. Since then, the Israeli government has cut off access to food, border crossings out of Gaza, and electricity, as well as the indiscriminate bombing of civilian neighborhoods. In a month, the Israeli government killed over 10,000 Palestinian civilians, including 4,104 children, while another 25,408 people have been injured, with reports of 2,000 missing people - 1,300 of them children presumed injured or dead under the rubble of entire city blocks.
“As a veteran of the United States Army and former military intelligence collector, I’m proud to stand with the courageous AZ state legislators who are demanding a ceasefire.” – Derek Duba, US Army Veteran, Arabic Linguist, and AZ Lead Organizer for Common Defense
"President Biden, over 10,000 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed by American bombs dropped by Israeli forces as a form of brutal collective punishment on a civilian population. Almost half of those killed are children. There is no justification for these crimes against humanity that are being committed on your watch. The time is long overdue for you to call for an immediate ceasefire now to protect both Palestinian and Israeli lives.” – AZ State Representative Athena Salman
“We cannot stand idly by as the toll continues to rise, with thousands dead, tens of thousands wounded, and a humanitarian situation worsening by the moment. We urge an immediate ceasefire.” – JoJo Sweatt, US Marine Operation Iraqi Freedom Veteran and Organizing Director for Common Defense
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Common Defense is a grassroots, veteran-led organization founded in 2016. We empower veterans to stand up for our communities against the rising tide of racism, hate, and violence, to organize against the entrenched powers that have rigged our economy, and to champion an equitable and representative democracy where “liberty and justice” truly is for all. For too long, politicians from both political parties have attempted to use veterans as political props. Common Defense serves as a home for veterans to organize and speak for themselves