The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today commended U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) for their courage and moral clarity in issuing a groundbreaking report accusing indicted war criminal Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of overseeing a campaign of “ethnic cleansing” against the Palestinian people – and implicating the U.S. government in complicity through its continued military and political support.
The senators’ findings follow a seven-day fact-finding mission to the region, including visits to Gaza and the West Bank. Their report sheds light on the scale of human suffering and systemic injustice Palestinians are facing under Israeli occupation and bombardment.
In a statement, CAIR Maryland Director Zainab Chaudry said:
“Senators Van Hollen and Merkley have demonstrated a rare and commendable commitment to truth and accountability in the face of overwhelming political pressure. Their report confirms what Palestinians and human rights organizations have been documenting for years: that Israel’s actions in Gaza and the West Bank amount to ethnic cleansing at the very least—and that the U.S. bears responsibility for enabling these atrocities through billions in unconditional military aid and uncritical political support.
“We thank the senators for standing on the side of justice and urge Congress to immediately act on their findings by halting all military aid to the Israeli government, enforcing existing U.S. human rights laws and supporting international accountability efforts.”
Yesterday, CAIR said that comedian Jerry Seinfeld’s recent claim that the racist Ku Klux Klan (KKK) is somehow “better than” the growing worldwide campaign for a “Free Palestine” is part of the efforts of those supporting Israel’s genocide to dehumanize the Palestinian people and those who support their call for freedom and justice.
Earlier this week, CAIR called for the removal of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) from Gaza after an investigation by the BBC revealed that a biker gang with a history of violent anti-Muslim rhetoric is in charge of the foundation’s security.
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CONTACT: CAIR Maryland Director Zainab Chaudry, zchaudry@cair.com, 410-971-6062; CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, rmccaw@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com