The New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NJ) today called all elected officials representing the state in Congress to not attend Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address.
In a letter sent to New Jersey’s 11 House of Representatives and two US senators, CAIR-NJ warned that attending Netanyahu’s speech to Congress could be perceived as an endorsement of his genocide in Palestine.
CAIR-NJ, along with two dozen other faith and civil rights organizations, signed the letter, urging to boycott War Criminal Netanyahu’s address for deeply consequential reasons, including human rights violations in Palestine.
The letter, in part, says: “We believe it is crucial for our representatives to take a stand for peace, justice, and human rights. By choosing to abstain from Netanyahu’s speech, you would be sending a powerful message that the United States values these principles and is committed to fostering a fair and balanced approach to international relations.”
The War Criminal’s speech comes amid Israel’s relentless slaughter rampage in Palestine, where at least 40,000 people, mostly women and children, have been murdered as genocide enters its 10th month.
And for those surviving the ethnic cleansing, conditions on the ground have been harrowing as many are facing starvation, diseases, and little to no medical aid. Israel has made Gaza the most dangerous place in the world to be a child.
In a statement, CAIR-NJ Executive Director Selaedin Maksut said:
“It is outrageous and deeply concerning that New Jersey’s elected officials would blindly support a war criminal carrying out genocide that has already been proven to be in violation of human rights and international law.
“We expect elected officials who represent New Jersey in Congress to stand against the indiscriminate mass murder of Palestinians, many of whom have families across the state and the US. Members of Congress have a lot more to lose than win by attending the war criminal’s speech as that would show the world which side of history they’re on.”
Netanyahu traveled to Washington, D.C. to address the United States Congress following the International Court of Justice’s recent determination that Israel’s settlement policies and exploitation of natural resources in the occupied Palestinian territories is unlawful and must end. CAIR has welcomed that ruling by the World Court.
CAIR-NJ along with CAIR national issued an action alert for Americans to call on members of Congress to boycott or protest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech to a joint session of Congress on July 24th due to his openly racist views, genocidal war crimes, disrespect for the United States, and opposition to a Palestinian state.
CAIR is America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
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CONTACT: CAIR-NJ Communications Manager Aya Elamroussi, aelamroussi@cair.com, 551-208-5482