Letter To President Biden On Extending The Truce In Gaza
By Bruce Fein and Ralph Nader
Dear Mr. President:
We strongly urge you to employ the maximum influence of the United States to convince Israel to extend its four-day truce in Gaza indefinitely—at least until all hostages and all thousands of Palestinians imprisoned without due process are released. The famed Christmas truce of World War I would have saved countless lives if extended.
You would not be favoring Hamas. You would be favoring life over the death of innocent civilians. Israel’s virtually impermeable blockade of Gaza would deny Hamas weapons or other instruments of war during any extension, to be followed by serious negotiations for a two-state solution.
The humanitarian urgency is obvious. At present, the death toll in Gaza exceeds at least 15,000. An additional 7,000 are missing. An estimated 3,000 children lie under the rubble. An unknown number of Palestinians have died prematurely because of Israel’s draconian siege: no water, no food, no medicine, no health care, no shelter, no fuel, no electricity, no anything.
In two months, 10,000 women and children in Gaza have been killed by Israel, a number exceeding the corresponding toll in Ukraine at the hands of Russia after nearly two years of war according to The New York Times (November 26, 2023).
Russian President Vladimir Putin is subject to an arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court for the war crime of unlawful transfer of population (children).
A failure to extend the truce would be an earmark of your weakness—a display of subservience to the Israeli government. It would also embolden Israel to continue its scorn for the laws of war.
Reflect upon Edmund Burke: “The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.”
Sincerely,
Bruce Fein Esq.
Ralph Nader Esq.
It is imperative that the US government act and encourage not just the extension but the permanent seize fire, the secession of hostilities and negotiations that will result in peaceful resolution.
Conflict and war has never been the answer. The money spent on these real unnecessary conflicts and wars could alleviate people of the world from poverty, save lives and develop the world’s infrastructure and all means of humans’ livelihood.
Evolution supposed to teach us how to engage with other nations with a clear understanding that we may not see eye to eye on certain issues and we may not agree but through negotiations and compromise we may find each other.
We are adults my goodness. What are we teaching our kids? Is this the kind of legacy we want to leave our youth?