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Today, Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (TX-16) led 9 of her colleagues in the House of Representatives in sending a multilateral letter to President Biden to renew the calls for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and push for a durable peace in the interests of Israelis and Palestinians alike. This was part of a joint effort with 20 Members of the Canadian Parliament and 20 Members of the German Bundestag, who sent the same letter to their respective Heads of State. 

This combined effort seeks to demonstrate the transnational commitment and responsibility our nations share - to hold our allies accountable and work toward a two-state solution.

The letter can be found here or read below.

The letter reads:

“In the spirit of our shared global responsibility and with a deep commitment to the safety, dignity and rights of civilians, we the undersigned urgently call for a ceasefire in Gaza and a new push for a durable resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. 

“Germany, the United States, and Canada are strong supporters of Israel – and must now use this position to advance the cause of a renewed ceasefire, and ultimately a permanent peace, in the interests of both Palestinians and Israelis alike. 

“The Hamas assault of October 7 was a brutal act of terror and a heinous breach of international law. The attacks, which included sexual violence, torture, murder and the taking of civilian hostages including children, are an affront to humanity and must be condemned in the strongest possible terms. All hostages taken by Hamas must be released immediately. As would any state, Israel has the right to defend itself and to guard against future attacks, in accordance with international law. 

“Yet, Israel’s unfolding military operations in Gaza have left no safe space for civilians in the most densely populated territory on earth. Its total siege has cut off communications, electricity, water, food, medicine and fuel to Gaza’s two million inhabitants, half of whom are children. Starvation and disease now stalk the civilian population. Added to this unfolding catastrophe, the Israeli bombing campaign has destroyed vast amounts of civilian infrastructure, displaced millions, and killed nearly 25,000 civilians, including over 7,000 children. Conditions on the ground are inhumane, and grow more intolerable and lethal by the day. 

“We believe that the price of defeating Hamas cannot be the ongoing suffering of all Palestinian civilians. Even Israeli hostages have inadvertently become victims of Israel’s military action.  A renewed humanitarian ceasefire is needed now. 

“As the recent temporary ceasefire proved, these agreements are an effective way to get Israeli hostages home and save civilian lives in Gaza. A new and sustainable ceasefire would allow for the delivery of much-needed humanitarian aid to Gaza to begin to alleviate the growing humanitarian catastrophe of injuries, illness, malnutrition and dehydration. It would also allow for the return of more Israeli hostages, which is a necessary prerequisite for peace.

“The alternative of escalation carries grave risks to Israel and to regional stability. Violence in the West Bank has already exploded, with Palestinian civilians being targeted by extremist settlers in an unacceptable atmosphere of near-impunity that has left hundreds of Palestinians dead and thousands imprisoned. Iranian-backed Houthis have fired ballistic missiles at commercial ships in the Red Sea, while Hezbollah now regularly fires on northern Israel. Were these outside actors to join the conflict in earnest, the regional consequences could be catastrophic. 

“When a new ceasefire is established, the hard diplomatic work of forging a lasting peace must begin again. The millions of people who live in Israel and the Palestinian territories are not going anywhere. Only a political solution that upholds the right to self-determination and the dignity of both peoples, Israeli and Palestinian alike, can remove the hatred and hopelessness that feeds the radical ideology of Hamas.

“We believe that our countries should spearhead a renewed foreign policy push to secure an end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that places the rights, dignity and security of both Israelis and Palestinians at the core. This process must seek to secure a lasting and comprehensive resolution to the conflict in accordance with international law. 

“It must be clear to leaders in the region that there can be no return to an unsustainable and dangerous status quo where this conflict remains unresolved. Ultimately, Hamas and other terrorist groups must no longer use Gaza as a platform for terrorism that poses a threat to the safety of Israelis – and Israel must end its unsustainable siege of Gaza and its illegal occupation of Palestinian territory.

“The two-state solution is the only viable path forward, and Germany, the United States and Canada have a crucial role to play in working with regional powers to revive this track. We believe that it is no longer enough to hold the two-state solution as an official policy goal while undermining it in action: our governments must uphold international law and hold our allies accountable for their actions.

“This means calling out Israeli and Palestinian leadership alike when they sabotage the potential for a two-state solution. Prime Minister Netanyahu’s aggressive expansion of Israeli settlements in the occupied territories is a major obstacle to achieving a comprehensive, just and lasting peace as well as a violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention, and must be denounced by allies. 

“It also means putting substantial international development resources into devastated civilian areas in Gaza and Israel, including reconstruction and the creation of state infrastructure needed for education, health, social welfare and the rule of law in an eventual democratic Palestinian state. 

“Now more than ever, the challenges faced by the region demand our ongoing collective attention and a diplomatic push to end the cycle of violence and move towards a future where Israelis and Palestinians live side by side, in peace and security, in independent, viable and internationally-recognized states.  

“As we re-commit to this vision, we also stand by our historic responsibility to protect Jewish lives at home and abroad. Our solidarity with Jewish people and our belief in the importance of a Jewish state makes it even more vital for Germany, the United States and Canada to urge Israel’s government to abandon policies that will only lead to more violence and hatred. 

“Rising anti-Semitism, anti-Palestinian hatred and Islamophobia have spread the conflict well beyond the Middle East. As we renew our condemnation of this hate, we also underline the importance of the democratic right to open and respectful debate of the issues in this conflict. 

“The safety and the futures of Israelis and Palestinians are inextricably bound. It is only through a just political resolution that peace and security can become a reality rather than an aspiration – and our countries must help lead the way."

Sincerely,

Veronica Escobar, Member of Congress (D-TX, 16), Texas, United States of America

Stephen Lynch, Member of Congress (D-MA-8), Massachusetts, United States of America

Betty McCollum, Member of Congress (D-FL-MN, 4), Florida, United States of America

Bonnie Watson Coleman, Member of Congress (D-NJ, 12), New Jersey, United States of America

Sanford Bishop, Member of Congress (D-GA, 2), Georgia, United States of America

Andre Carson, Member of Congress (D-IN, 7), Indiana, United States of America

Lloyd Dogget, Member of Congress (D-TX, 37), Texas, United States of America

Jesus G. “Chuy” Garcia, Member of Congress (D-IL, 4), Illinois, United States of America

Al Green, Member of Congress (D-TX, 9), Texas

Hank Johnson, Member of Congress (D-GA, 4), Georgia, United States of America

John Aldag, Member of Parliament, Liberal Party of Canada, Cloverdale – Langley City, Canada

Shafqat Ali, Member of Parliament, Liberal Party of Canada, Brampton Centre, Canada

Charlie Angus, Member of Parliament, New Democratic Party of Canada, Critic for Natural  Resources (Jobs and Just Transition), Timmins – James Bay, Canada

Lisa Marie Barron, Member of Parliament, New Democratic Party of Canada, Critic for Fisheries and Oceans, Nanaimo-Ladysmith, Canada

Alexandre Boulerice, Member of Parliament, New Democratic Party of Canada, Deputy Leader and Critic for Labour, Rosemont La-Petite-Patrie, Canada

Paul Chiang, Member of Parliament, Liberal Party of Canada, Markham-Unionville, Canada

Laurel Collins, Member of Parliament, New Democratic Party of Canada, Critic for Environment and Climate Change, Victoria, Canada

Don Davies, Member of Parliament, New Democratic Party of Canada, Critic for Health, Vancouver Kingsway, Canada

Nathaniel Erskine-Smith, Member of Parliament, Liberal Party of Canada, Beaches—East York, Canada  

Arielle Kayabaga, Member of Parliament, Liberal Party of Canada, London West, Canada

Adam Van Koeverden, Member of Parliament, Liberal Party of Canada, Milton, Canada

Jenny Kwan, Member of Parliament, New Democratic Party of Canada, Caucus Chair and Critic for Housing and Immigration, Vancouver East, Canada

Brian Masse, Member of Parliament, New Democratic Party of Canada, Critic for Innovation, Science and Industry, Auto Strategy, Canada/US Border Relations and the Great Lakes, Windsor West, Canada

Mark Gerresten, Member of Parliament, Liberal Party of Canada, Kingston and the Islands, Canada

Lindsay Mathyssen, Member of Parliament, New Democratic Party of Canada, Critic for National Defense, London-Fanshawe, Canada

Heather McPherson, Member of Parliament, New Democratic Party of Canada, Critic for Foreign Affairs and Deputy Whip, Edmonton-Strathcona, Canada

Yasir Naqvi, Member of Parliament, Liberal Party of Canada, Ottawa Centre, Canada

Jennifer O’ Connell, Member of Parliament, Liberal Party of Canada, Pickering-Uxbridge, Canada

Jagmeet Singh, Member of Parliament, New Democratic Party of Canada, Leader, Burnaby South, Canada

Salma Zahid, Member of Parliament, Liberal Party of Canada, Scarborough Centre, Canada

Sanae Abdi, Member of the German Bundestag, Spokeswoman for Economic Cooperation and Development for the SPD Caucus in the Bundestag, Cologne, Germany

Adis Ahmetovic, Member of the German Bundestag, Spokesman for International Climate and Energy Policy for the SPD Caucus in the Bundestag, Hannover, Germany

Dirk-Ulrich Mende, Member of the German Bundestag, Deputy Spokesman for Local Government for the SPD Caucus in the Bundestag, Lower Saxony, Germany

Rasha Nasr, Member of the German Bundestag, Spokeswoman for Migration and Integration, Deputy Spokeswoman for Labor and Social Policy for the SPD Caucus in the Bundestag, Dresden, Germany

Aydan Ozoguz, Vice President of the German Bundestag, Member of the Bundestag, Hamburg, Germany

Christian Petry, Member of the German Bundestag, Spokesman for European Union Affairs for the SPD Caucus in the Bundestag, Sankt Wendel, Germany

Dr. Nina Scheer, Member of the German Bundestag, Spokeswoman for Climate Protection and Energy for the SPD Caucus in the Bundestag, Herzogtum Lauenburg/Stormarn-Süd, Germany

Johannes Schraps, Member of the German Bundestag, Deputy Spokesman for European Union Affairs for the SPD Caucus in the Bundestag, Weser Uplands, Germany

Ralf Stegner, Member of the German Bundestag, Spokesman for Transatlantic Relations and USA for the SPD Caucus in the Bundestag, Pinneberg, Germany

Derya Turk Nachbaur, Member of the German Bundestag, Deputy Spokeswoman for Human Rights and Humanitarian Aid for the SPD Caucus in the Bundestag, Schwarzwald-Baar, Germany

Lena Werner, Member of the German Bundestag, Deputy Spokeswoman for Economic Policy for the SPD Caucus in the Bundestag, Bitburg, Germany

Gulistan Yuksel, Member of the German Bundestag, Deputy Spokeswoman for Migration and Integration for the SPD Caucus in the Bundestag, Mönchengladbach, Germany

Armand Zorn, Member of the German Bundestag, Deputy Spokesman for Fiscal Policy for the SPD Caucus in the Bundestag, Frankfurt am Main, Germany

Isabel Cademartori, Member of the German Bundestag, Spokeswoman for Transport for the SPD Caucus in the Bundestag, Mannheim, Germany

Manuel Gava, Member of the German Bundestag, Deputy Spokesman for Economic Cooperation and Development for the SPD Caucus in the Bundestag, Osnabrück, Germany

Jasmina Hostert, Member of the German Bundestag, Spokeswoman for Child and Youth Education for the SPD Caucus in the Bundestag, Böblingen, Germany

Frank Junge, Member of the German Bundestag, Spokesman on the budget of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection for the SPD Caucus in the Bundestag, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany

Macit Karaahmetoğlu, Member of the German Bundestag, Deputy Spokesman for Legal Policy for the SPD Caucus in the Bundestag, Ludwigsburg, Germany

Nezahat Baradari, Member of the German Bundestag, Spokeswoman for Child and Youth Health and European Health Policy for the SPD Caucus in the Bundestag, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany

Anna Kassautzki, Member of the German Bundestag, Deputy Spokeswoman for Digital policy for the SPD Caucus in the Bundestag, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Deutschland

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