The Ohio District of the Communist Party, USA stands in solidarity with the people of Gaza and their struggle for liberation and self-determination. The Palestinian people, and especially those residing in Gaza, have been subjected to cruel conditions in the leadup to the Hamas attack: blockades of essential goods, severe restrictions on freedom of movement, and unemployment approaching 50%. This has led to a critical lack of access to clean water, food, and healthcare that has only been exacerbated by Israel’s new blockade.

Palestinians have long been subject to and subjugated by ruthless occupation and degradation. Palestinians face forced evictions and demolitions of their homes, allowing for the expansion of illegal Israeli settlements. In 2023, over 700 Palestinian-owned buildings were demolished prior to October, already displacing over 1,000 people before the October 7th attacks.

Palestinians encounter constant violent provocations by the Israeli military and right-wing groups that operate under their protection, including extrajudicial torture and killings by both the IDF and Israeli settlers. In 2023 alone, there had been nearly 800 attacks on Palestinians by Israeli settlers, as well as nearly 8,000 injured and over 200 killed by Israeli armed forces, prior to October. Just weeks before the recent escalation of conflict, the IDF attacked Palestinian worshippers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, a significant Islamic holy site in East Jerusalem, and allowed right-wing Israeli nationalists to enter the mosque to pray as they forced all Palestinians under 50 to exit.

The Palestinian people’s fight is a heroic struggle for liberation, which is tied to the struggle of all working people against militarism, apartheid, and imperialism.

The U.S. ruling class has close relationships with the most reactionary forces in the region. They support Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, refuse to accept the rights of the Palestinian people to form their own autonomous state, and demonize Muslims.

The U.S. government provides $3.3 billion in financial aid to the Israeli military budget each year, much of which flows back into the hands of U.S. weapons manufacturers such as Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and Northrop Grumman. The vast majority of ammunition used by the IDF is manufactured in the U.S. or by U.S.-owned companies. In fact, U.S.-made weapons have been used to destroy USAID-funded projects in the Gaza strip on multiple occasions over the past 10 years in a highly profitable cycle of violence against the Palestinian people.

Ohio taxpayers are major investors in the Israeli government. In 2023, State Treasurer Robert Sprague announced the purchase of $20 million in bonds issued by Israel. These bonds will yield an interest rate of 4.46% over 5 years — profits derived in part from Israeli militarism and the dispossession of the Palestinian people.

In total, the state has purchased $202.5 million in bonds supporting the government of Israel, making Ohio one of the largest government holders of these bonds in the United States. “With their competitive interest rates and strong record of reliable payments, Israel Bonds continue to be a valuable investment for Ohioans,” said Sprague after the most recent bond purchase by the state.

The Ohio District of the Communist Party USA stands against the daily atrocities committed by Israel against Palestinians and demands the immediate divestment of state funds from the government of Israel. Echoing the statement by our National Committee, we call on all peace-loving and progressive people in Ohio and around the world to stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people. The CPUSA joins the Communist Party of Israel and Hadash in decrying civilian deaths. They write “even in difficult days like this — we repeat and voice an unequivocal condemnation of any harm to innocent civilians, and call for their removal from the bloodshed. We send our condolences to all the families of the victims of the occupation, Arabs and Jews alike.”

The CPUSA joins with other peace-loving people in demanding that Congress and the Biden Administration stop fueling violence. Fueling war will lead to more dead Israelis and more dead Palestinians. More violence will not end this violence and war. Sending weapons, rather than calling for de-escalation, risks an out-of-control regional war in the Middle East.

The Capitol Switchboard telephone number for reaching your Representatives and Senators is: (202) 224-3121. Tell them that you support immediate steps to de-escalate. The only way forward is to address the root causes of violence and end U.S. complicity in the oppression of Palestinians.

Ohio Treasurer Robert Sprague can be reached at (800) 228-1102 or (614) 466-2160.
Thank you for taking action on this critical challenge to world peace.

Image: Ohio CP

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