Dear Friends,

There are some things that must be made crystal clear: Hamas has committed crimes that should horrify any decent person. As people who firmly criticize Israeli policy in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank on a daily basis, it is our moral duty to state things as they are: this weekend, Hamas blatantly violated humanity’s basic moral norms.
As people who have been in the struggle against occupation and apartheid for twenty years, we must unequivocally state that it’s impossible to justify the massacre of hundreds of civilians at a music festival, or the murder and kidnapping of countless men, women and children – even in the name of an anti-colonial struggle or popular struggle. It is impossible to construct theoretical justifications for the kidnapping of mothers and their children, of senior citizens, of teenagers.

The struggle for human rights does not differentiate between blood, between people of different religions, ethnicities and nationalities, and it is incumbent upon us to be consistent. The struggle for the legitimate rights of one nation cannot be an excuse to decimate the rights of another. That is a basic principle: not only of international law, but of simple moral decency. Without this, all that’s left is a cycle of blind, indiscriminate revenge. Those who find some kind of twisted theoretical logic in order to justify a massacre are not fighting for human rights, and push the goal of liberation further out of reach.

Almost every one of us knows someone who was killed, was taken hostage, gone missing, or spent hours locked in bomb shelters in fear for their lives. Many have no idea where their loved ones are, more than 48 hours since the start of fighting. We are anxious for the welfare of our families, as well as for the welfare of our Palestinian partners and for the innocent civilians who live in this land from the river to the sea.  

We dedicate our lives to the struggle to end occupation and the siege on Gaza because no human being should live under tyranny, and because no one’s blood is redder than any other. Every single person who lives in this land deserves to live a good life, safe and free. This is why we struggle – and will continue to struggle – against collective punishment, against killings, against the dangerous policies to “maintain occupation” and the rounds of endless war. This is why we will continue the struggle, as we have for years, against the indiscriminate firing policies in Gaza. Our stance is clear: every human being deserves a life of safety and freedom. Palestinians and Israelis both.
 
Avner Gvaryahu, Director
Breaking the Silence