Dear Friends,

For four weeks, tens of thousands of Palestinians have joined the Great March of Return. Israeli forces have responded with sniper fire, killing 41 and injuring thousands.

It’s a disgrace. But our Senator, Chuck Schumer, the leader of the Democrats in the Senate has said nothing.

I feel determined, more than ever, to use my position as an American Jew to demand that protesters in Gaza have the right to peacefully protest for their basic human rights, even if that meant risking my own freedom.

That’s why this morning I was one of 15 JVP members arrested outside the office of Senator Chuck Schumer while sitting shiva for the 41 unarmed demonstrators murdered in Gaza by Israeli snipers, calling for Senator Schumer to condemn the indiscriminate killings of children, medics, and journalists; and to affirm the rights of Palestinians.

I’m sure our arrests got his staff’s attention — but now we need to let them know we aren’t going away.

Can you call Senator Schumer’s office and leave a message with his staff to build on our action this morning? It’ll take 2 minutes total and make a massive impact.

Call: (202) 224-6542

Your call will be answered by one of the Senator’s staff, or you’ll go to voicemail. Ask if you can leave a message for the Senator — and he’ll be briefed on the calls.

Here’s some things you can say:

• I’m deeply disturbed by the killing of unarmed Palestinian protesters by the Israeli military. It’s completely unacceptable.
• As the Senate Majority leader, Senator Schumer’s leadership on Gaza is crucial, and I urge the Senator to publicly condemn the killings.
• I stand with the dozens of Jewish people who have been arrested at the Senator’s office calling for him to condemn Israeli violence against the Palestinian protesters.

Then click here to tell us how it went.

Last week dozens of JVP members in New York state called Senator Gillibrand’s office — and just yesterday JVP members met with her staff and with Schumer’s as part of JVP’s lobby day in DC.

If we can get both Senator Gillibrand and Schumer to speak out we’ll not only have convinced both our Senators — we’ll be able to create condemnation from both the old and new guard of the Democratic party — a hugely powerful signal to Israel that their time of impunity is up.

As we said Kaddish, shared stories of the lives of the people murdered in Gaza, and read Palestinian poetry, I felt a combination of rage, sorrow, and deep inspiration for the historic organizing that is taking place in Gaza right now. It was a powerful display of the growing mass of American Jews that support Palestinian rights, including the Right of Return.

Join me in putting the pressure on our elected officials to speak out for Palestinian lives.

Let’s do this,

Claire