FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 1, 2023

ACT 4 SA UNEQUIVOCALLY STANDS WITH THE PEOPLE OF PALESTINE

We must speak power to truth: The actions of the government of Israel is, and has been for decades, state mandated genocide.

We are witnessing an eradication in real time! ACT 4 SA condemns all acts of violence and wants to make completely clear that nothing justifies occupation & erasure. We condemn the crimes against humanity committed by the apartheid state of Israel.

Israel has cut off access to water, blocked humanitarian aid, bombed hospitals and churches, and taken away electricity to silence the voices speaking up about this truth. We condemn the crimes against humanity committed by the apartheid state of Israel.

As an organization that fights against institutional oppression we recognize tactics that seek to dehumanize people and strip them of their autonomy, and we denounce the use of these tactics by Israel and our own American government. This “with us or against us” language polarizes and intimidates our people into either getting with the program or staying silent in fear of being labeled as the enemy. 

Labeling supporters of a free Palestine as anti-Semitic, building Israeli highways straight into Palestine, allowing aggressive-militant Zionists to intimidate Palestinians in Palestinian neighborhoods, controlling the Palestinian’s access to water and power, restricting journalists and suppressing news coverage in Gaza. These are all tactics of oppression; controlling the narrative and oppressing the people; and it’s unacceptable! We demand a Ceasefire, for Israel to immediately allow aid into Gaza, and for the Israeli blockade to end once and for all. 

We encourage our fellow community members to seek out unbiased news sources and research the issue, including first hand accounts. Pay attention to propaganda promoting “sides”, “neutrality”, or war. This is political propaganda encouraging the idea that Palestinians are deserving of this terror or that this is a war and not an active genocide. We also encourage our community to speak out, speak with your families, your state and federal representatives. Please see actions you can take below.

San Antonio specifically gives over 19 million dollars to Israel every year in a disgraced city-to-city “friendship” relationship. It is our job to stand up and tell the government that we will not abide the use of American money, military and weapons to fund or support Israeli state run oppression, colonization, and genocide.

It’s critical now more than ever to take action. Here’s a few immediate actions you can take:

  1. Call your city council representatives and demand they end our Friendship City status with Tel Aviv. Click here to go to the form we created for this
  2. Show up to Public Comment at City Hall and demand an end to our Friendship City status with Tel Aviv. This happens twice a minimum of twice a month on Wednesday’s at 5 PM at city Council Chambers. The next one is November 1st.
  3. Call your federal representatives and don’t only demand a ceasefire, but demand an end to the Israeli blockade as well. A temporary ceasefire is not enough! Palestinians don’t want to just go back to how things were before October 7th, but they want access to resources, an end to colonization, and land back. Click here to go to the call form by Jewish Voices for Peace.
  4. Sign the petition to President Biden calling for an immediate ceasefire
  5. Boycott companies and brands that support Israeli genocide and apartheid. Check out The BDS movement for what to boycott, BDS stands for Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions and have been leading in the movement for Palestinian liberation for nearly 20 years. Also the U.N. released a list in 2020, but here are some major American companies that support Israel include Starbucks, McDonald’s, Coca Cola, KFC, General Mills, Walt Disney & Netflix. These boycotts are working and these companies are already seeing a financial hit. Boycotting worked in fighting apartheid in Africa, it can work again!

Remember- none of us are free till all of us are free

Media Contact Information

Ananda Tomas

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