HAPA’s Statement in Solidarity with Palestine
HAPA supports calls for the US government to stop participating in the genocide of the Palestinian people and supports demands for an immediate ceasefire.
Please Take Action Today
Contact Hawaiʻi's federal representatives and ask them to support an immediate and permanent ceasefire
HAPA staff, board members and Kuleana Academy alumni gathered at the Solidarity March for Peace in Waikiki on January 28th
We stand against collective punishment and mass violence inflicted upon civilians in any form – be it by the Israeli State, Hamas, or the United States. We join with Jewish Voice for Peace in the belief that, “A future of peace and safety for all, grounded in justice, freedom and equality for all, is still the only option.” We affirm the equal value of all lives.
Hawaiʻi and Palestine are two occupied nations, deeply connected through a shared struggle for liberation and genuine peace for all lands and peoples.
Residents of Hawaiʻi contribute $13 million in federal taxes annually to the $3.8 billion per year in U.S. military funding and economic aid to the apartheid State of Israel, which is used to commit daily war crimes against Palestinians in their own homelands, including the theft, destruction, and occupation of their lands, homes, food sources, water, natural resources, and means to survival.
In the words of Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib:
“In response to the case brought by South Africa against Israel, the International Court of Justice just ruled that Israel’s government is plausibly committing genocide.
The Court ordered Israel’s government to act immediately to prevent further harm to the Palestinian people—and to stop “acts of genocide” such as killing Palestinians and “causing serious bodily or mental harm” to Palestinians.
This ruling also puts the U.S. government on notice for enabling violations of the Genocide Convention. As a signer of the Genocide Convention, the U.S. government is legally obligated to prevent genocide.
With U.S. support, the Israeli government has killed more than 30,000* Palestinians in Gaza, forcibly displacing 2 million people within the already-densely-packed Gaza strip.
President Biden has sent thousands of bombs to Israel’s military, while blocking international efforts to stop the violence and watering down attempts to secure sufficient humanitarian aid.
Meanwhile, Israel’s government is still starving Palestinians in Gaza and depriving the trapped population of other basic needs for survival such as water, shelter, and medical assistance.
As the biggest funder of Israel’s military, U.S. government leaders have the power and the obligation to stop this unfolding genocide.
In addition to the order to prevent genocide, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) also ordered Israel to prevent and punish incitement to genocide, to immediately ensure “urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance” to Gaza, and to report back within a month to the court.
The only way to implement the Court’s orders is by facilitating a lasting ceasefire.”
We also recognize that a ceasefire and stop to the planned ground invasion of Rafah is not enough to bring peace, freedom, and dignity to the Palestinian people, who have long faced conditions of “open air imprisonment” in their homelands. For true and lasting peace for Palestines, Israelis, and all people, we must work to eradicate oppression in all forms.
*updated since Congresswoman Tlaib's statement to reflect casualties as of March 13th, 2024 .
Thousands marched on the streets of Waikiki on January 28th, 2024 to demand an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. PC: Noel Nepomuceno
What you can do TODAY in Hawaiʻi to support demands to stop funding the genocide of Palestinian people:
Use this one-tap legislator contact tool to support a ceasefire resolution in Hawaiʻi’s legislature with just a few clicks. It only takes a minute and makes a big difference!
Contact your Federal representatives (regularly) to ask them to call for a ceasefire and to stop funding the genocide of Palestinian people. (talking points in sample email)
Talking points for any of the actions above from The Hawaiʻi #CeasefireNow Advocacy Toolkit:
The best “talking point” for lawmakers is to just tell them your personal story. How does Gaza connect to you personally? Do you have family or friends there? Why is Gaza important to you? Sharing this with your lawmakers in an honest and heart-felt way will go a long way toward getting them to support the resolution when it is introduced.
But we’ve also got some fact-based talking points to support the need for a ceasefire in Gaza
Hawaʻi Health Workers spoke at a rally in Honolulu calling for an end to the genocide on January 28th, 2024. PC: Noel Nepomuceno
The unparalleled escalation of the conflict between Israel and Hamas and other armed groups has taken a devastating toll on civilians. The level of casualties is unprecedented. Nearly 30,000 civilians have been killed since Oct 7, and the majority of them are women and children.
At the same time, some 200 Israeli hostages taken by Hamas and other armed groups and held in Gaza remain in danger, and ongoing indiscriminate rocket fire into Israel places its own civilians at risk.
Israel’s tightened siege of Gaza has blocked the entry of goods, including water, food and fuel leaving the 2 million people in the Gaza Strip struggling to survive. The humanitarian catastrophe stemming from Israel’s 16-year-long illegal blockade on the occupied Gaza Strip will only get worse if the fighting doesn’t stop immediately.
A ceasefire would put a stop to unlawful attacks by all parties, halt the mounting death toll in Gaza and enable aid agencies to get life-saving aid, water and medical supplies into the Strip to address the staggering levels of human suffering. It will also allow hospitals to receive life-saving medicines, fuel and equipment they desperately need and to repair damaged wards.
A ceasefire would also provide opportunities to negotiate the release of hostages detained in Gaza and for independent international investigations to take place into the war crimes committed by all parties in order to end long-standing impunity, which will continue to breed further atrocities.
Tackling the root causes of this conflict, by dismantling Israel’s system of apartheid imposed on Palestinians is now more urgent than ever. That cannot be accomplished as long as the violence continues.
Accounts to Follow:
Jewish Voice for Peace Hawaiʻi
Students and Faculty for Justice in Palestine at the University of Hawaiʻi
Representative Rashida Tlaib
Motaz Azaiza
Local Actions
Petition to Terminate the Strategic Partnership Between Hawaiʻi and Israel
Find a Local Sign Waving Group in Your Area:
Media & Coverage
About Hawaiʻi Alliance for Progressive Action
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The Hawaiʻi Alliance for Progressive Action (HAPA) is deeply committed to championing social, economic, and environmental justice throughout Hawaiʻi. Recognizing the interconnected nature of food systems, we underscore that the challenges plaguing these systems are not isolated from broader social, economic, and environmental concerns. We believe in an integrated approach that addresses these interdependencies to create a just, equitable, and sustainable future for Hawaiʻi.
Contact: info@hapahi.org | (808) 212-9616
