Erratum:
[In the fifth paragraph, in response to a quote from Netanyahu, we had included the parenthetical comment “(It must be noted that Netanyahu s allegations of rape are refuted.)” We believe that it would be more appropriate for the comment to read as follows: “(It must be noted that Netanyahu s allegations of rape are disputed.)” We have adjusted the article accordingly.]
On July 24, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed a joint session of Congress. It sparked protests around the United States and a local protest in Fresno. More than 100 members of Congress refused to attend the session.
Netanyahu told Congress, “My friends, I came to assure you today of one thing, we will win. Like Dec. 7, 1941, and Sept. 11, 2001,” he said, “Oct. 7 is a day that will forever live in infamy.”
He continued, “For the forces of civilization to triumph, America and Israel must stand together.”
Netanyahu also directly addressed the protests against the genocide in Gaza, both on college campuses and outside the Capitol.
“Incredibly, many anti-Israel protesters, many choose to stand with evil. They stand with Hamas. They stand with rapists and murderers,” he said. (It must be noted that Netanyahu’s allegations of rape have been disputed.)
Netanyahu incredibly claimed, against all evidence and assessments by the Biden administration, that Israel has not blocked humanitarian aid from entering Gaza. He also claimed that “Israel’s military has caused very few civilian casualties by taking unprecedented steps to protect those trapped in the crossfire.” (To date, more than 39,000 civilians have been killed, 15,000 of them children, as reported in Al Jazeera News.)
In Fresno, a coalition of organizations held a protest in front of the Federal Building on Tulare Street and made the following statement:
“We condemn the address of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to a joint session of Congress as highly inappropriate at a time when he is using U.S. weapons against Palestinian civilians without regard to the sanctity of their lives.
“We also want to inform Senator Alex Padilla and Representative Jim Costa that we are opposed to the continued provision of weapons to the Israeli Defense Forces and Israeli Government. We seek application of the Leahy Law, the Foreign Assistance Act and other appropriate laws and protocols regarding the use of weapons against civilian populations and the blockage or restriction of humanitarian aid.”
The coalition is composed of Raza Against War, the Palestine Liberation Group, Fresno for Palestine, Veterans for Peace, Peace Fresno, the Fresno Center for Nonviolence and the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom.
As the vocal crowd of about 60 people gathered in the Fresno heat, Stan Santos from Raza Against War spoke. “We have to remember that large numbers of the dead are children; 15,000 children in Gaza have been killed since the war began on Oct. 7 according to the UN Office of the High Commissioner, who stated on June 24 [that] ‘Gaza has become a graveyard for children with thousands of others missing, their fates unknown.’”
Santos continued, “The other part of our mission today is to engage with our elected representatives in Congress again to halt the weapons shipments and the mass slaughter of Palestinian civilians. These are violations of numerous international treaties and considered acts of genocide.”
Josh Shurley of Veterans for Peace addressed the crowd. “Our organization of military veterans and allies dedicated to exposing the true cost of war and militarism is seeking justice for the many victims of war.
“Today, friends, there is a great injustice. There is a crime of historic proportions. What’s unfolding in Palestine is led by a monster named Benjamin Netanyahu, who is visiting our nation’s capital to meet with his minions in the U.S. Congress, some of whom represent us right here in California’s 21st district.
“It comes down to this: One day, we will be asked what did you do to help stop the Palestinian genocide? What did you do when Netanyahu came to the halls of Congress gloating about the American lawmakers that he had bought off?
“What we are seeing is large-scale corrupt political influence around the issue of enabling Israel’s crimes. What we see locally are Islamophobic hate crimes happening right here in Fresno. We have to open our minds that we’re connected, from Fresno to Palestine, from Raza to Gaza.”
Among the speakers were Hayat and her 10-year-old daughter Juhayna, who said, “We all pay taxes; my parents pay a lot of taxes. Our taxes fund genocide. Why would America want to fund genocide? Why would we support the killing of innocent people?
“Why don’t we use this money to make America a better place? Why are there so many homeless people on the streets? No homes, no air conditioning, no access to cold water or showers, and everyone is okay with that?
“This is not the America I want to grow up in. I want an America that supports peace, not genocide; that is fair. An America that provides housing for the homeless and not killing.”
There was also an open mic, and many Fresnans spoke up for an immediate ceasefire and massive humanitarian aid shipments to Gaza. It was an energetic day of support for Palestine and a sharp rebuke to Netanyahu.
