<div><p style="margin:0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;font:12.0px 'Lucida Grande'"><span style="letter-spacing:0.0px">Students for Justice in Palestine UIUC unequivocally condemns the ongoing Israeli military campaign in Gaza and is deeply concerned for the well-being of civilians, medical personnel, and journalists in the Gaza Strip whose lives have been endangered by Israel’s November 14</span><span style="font:8.0px 'Lucida Grande';letter-spacing:0.0px"><sup>th</sup></span><span style="letter-spacing:0.0px"> assault. </span></p>
<p style="margin:0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;font:12.0px 'Lucida Grande';min-height:15.0px"><span style="letter-spacing:0.0px"></span><br></p>
<p style="margin:0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;font:12.0px 'Lucida Grande'"><span style="letter-spacing:0.0px">In the past week, Israeli attacks have claimed the lives of at least 134 Palestinians, of which at least 45% are women, children, or senior citizens. In addition, 60% of the 1090 wounded Palestinians are women, children, or senior citizens. </span></p>
<p style="margin:0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;font:12.0px 'Lucida Grande';min-height:15.0px"><span style="letter-spacing:0.0px"></span><br></p>
<p style="margin:0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;font:12.0px 'Lucida Grande'"><span style="letter-spacing:0.0px">We are dismayed by the Israeli military’s decision to bomb residential neighborhoods and ambulances. Despite the fact that geographic coordinates of journalists are known by the Israeli military, Israel continues to target journalists, resulting in the death of approximately three. </span></p>
<p style="margin:0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;font:12.0px 'Lucida Grande';min-height:15.0px"><span style="letter-spacing:0.0px"></span><br></p>
<p style="margin:0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;font:12.0px 'Lucida Grande'"><span style="letter-spacing:0.0px">Israel’s flagrant disregard for Palestinian life has only been exacerbated during this latest attack. Israel’s Operation Cast Lead in 2008 murdered 1,440 Palestinians, of whom 431 were children. In addition, the Israeli-imposed blockade since 2006 has prevented direly needed medical, school, and construction supplies from entering Gaza. In 2008, an Israeli official calculated calories necessary to “put the Palestinians on a diet, but not to make them die of hunger.” Even so, Israel allowed enough food to satisfy only half of this chilling caloric requirement to enter Gaza. </span></p>
<p style="margin:0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;font:12.0px 'Lucida Grande';min-height:15.0px"><span style="letter-spacing:0.0px"></span><br></p>
<p style="margin:0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;font:12.0px 'Lucida Grande'"><span style="letter-spacing:0.0px">We urge the American government and President Obama to exert diplomatic pressure on Israel for an immediate cease-fire and initiate an investigation into Israel’s misuse of U.S. weapons to continuously commit human rights abuses. </span>Israel should be required to comply with international humanitarian law. The state <span style="letter-spacing:0.0px">receives more than $3 billion in US foreign aid annually, making</span> the United States government complicit in the ongoing massacre.</p>
<p style="margin:0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;font:12.0px 'Lucida Grande';min-height:15.0px"><span style="letter-spacing:0.0px"></span><br></p>
<p style="margin:0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;font:12.0px 'Lucida Grande'"><span style="letter-spacing:0.0px">SJP UIUC also encourages our own campus to divest from Israeli companies that participate in the illegal occupation of Palestinian land. As a diverse academic institution, it is important to uphold the values of freedom, humanity, and integrity by investing in socially responsible businesses. </span></p>
<p style="margin:0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;font:12.0px 'Lucida Grande';min-height:15.0px"><span style="letter-spacing:0.0px"></span><br></p>
<p style="margin:0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;font:12.0px 'Lucida Grande'"><span style="letter-spacing:0.0px">What is happening in Gaza is a massacre and SJP encourages all to remain informed of the atrocities that are occurring in this region daily. We urge you to take decisive action including: </span></p>
<p style="margin:0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;text-indent:36.0px;font:12.0px 'Lucida Grande';min-height:15.0px"><span style="letter-spacing:0.0px"></span><br></p>
<ol style="list-style-type:decimal">
<li style="margin:0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;font:12.0px 'Lucida Grande'"><span style="letter-spacing:0.0px">Participating in emergency rallies or protests. An updated list of emergency response can be found here: </span><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Iq4XZx9Vj0BDIiWzlHi2mUS0VUOn_t-prgtGGCzatQw/edit" target="_blank">https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Iq4XZx9Vj0BDIiWzlHi2mUS0VUOn_t-prgtGGCzatQw/edit</a></li>
<li style="margin:0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;font:12.0px 'Lucida Grande'">Calling local politicians, the State Department, and the White House to demand an immediate cessation of all Israeli attacks against Gaza and to hold Israeli occupation forces accountable for the abuse of U.S. supplied weapons. Call the White House at 202-456-1111. You can also find your elected officials <a href="http://www.govtrack.us:80/congress/members" target="_blank">online</a> and contact them.</li>
</ol><p style="margin:0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 36.0px;text-indent:5.6px;font:12.0px 'Lucida Grande';min-height:15.0px">Talking points you can make:<span style="letter-spacing:0.0px"></span></p><p style="margin:0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;text-indent:36.0px;font:12.0px 'Lucida Grande';min-height:15.0px">
<span style="letter-spacing:0.0px"></span></p>
<p style="margin:0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;text-indent:36.0px;font:12.0px 'Lucida Grande'"><span style="letter-spacing:0.0px">-The Gaza Strip is an occupied territory according to the United Nations</span></p>
<p style="margin:0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;text-indent:36.0px;font:12.0px 'Lucida Grande'"><span style="letter-spacing:0.0px">-Gaza has been under siege by Israeli forces for the last six years</span></p>
<p style="margin:0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;text-indent:36.0px;font:12.0px 'Lucida Grande'"><span style="letter-spacing:0.0px">-Attacking occupied civilian population in Gaza is against the Fourth Geneva Convention, meaning Israel is in direct violation of international law</span></p>
<p style="margin:0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;text-indent:36.0px;font:12.0px 'Lucida Grande'"><span style="letter-spacing:0.0px">-I</span>srael is in violation of the U.S. Arm Exports Control Act by using U.S. provided weapons against an occupied civilian population</p>
<div><br></div><p style="margin:0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;text-indent:36.0px;font:12.0px 'Lucida Grande'">
<span style="letter-spacing:0.0px">3. Stay informed. </span>Check out these resources from the Institute for Middle Eastern Understanding via the US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation <a href="http://www.endtheoccupation.org/article.php?id=2949" target="_blank">website</a>.</p>
<p style="margin:0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;text-indent:36.0px;font:12.0px 'Lucida Grande'"><br></p><p style="margin:0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;text-indent:36.0px;font:12.0px 'Lucida Grande'"><span style="font-family:arial;font-size:small"><span style="font-family:'Lucida Grande';font-size:12px">As students in this country, we must ensure that we are global contributors of peace and freedom, and not supporters of injustice. </span></span></p>
</div><div><font color="#000000" face="times new roman,serif"><b>-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</b></font></div>
<div><font face="times new roman,serif"><i><b><font color="#ff0000">Students</font> for Justice in <font color="#009900">Palestine</font> </b></i></font></div>
<div><font face="times new roman,serif"><i><b>University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign</b></i></font></div><br>