LEAP Statement on Palestine and Israel

Dec 26

Written By LEAP

As the head of an organization committed to teaching and advocating for our participants to lead from their values, to be unafraid of being authentic, and working toward change that is meaningful, relevant, and affirming, I’ve been thinking about our silence on what has happened and continues to happen in Palestine and Israel and the harm that that silence can cause in our communities. As an Asian American who stands on the shoulders of those who historically experienced community-wide violence, exclusion, and internment, LEAP has not modeled leadership and for this, we are sorry that it’s taken this long to speak up and out.

Focusing on the lives lost and the lives that continue to be harmed, we are heartbroken and horrified by the death of thousands of innocent civilians – over 20,000 Palestinians and 1,400 Israelis and Thais, Nepalis, Filipinos and Cambodians who were in Israel as migrant workers. We join calls to prioritize the safe return of the hostages to their families, to stop the unconscionable violence that has inflicted an unprecedented humanitarian disaster on Palestinians, and to ensure urgently needed humanitarian aid is distributed and made accessible to the nearly 2 million Palestinians who have been displaced.

Furthermore, we decry and condemn the current wave of Islamophobia and anti-Semitism which has been directed toward members of our American Arab, Jewish, Muslim, Sikh, South Asian, and West Asian communities. As a significantly immigrant community, we know that sadly, and unfairly, our communities in the U.S. are often the scapegoats for global conflicts.

In writing this, I am aware that we have more work to do in learning and understanding the factors that have led to the present-day crisis facing Palestinians and Israelis. My wish for 2024 is for all of us - as people, as leaders, and as citizens of the world - to engage in thoughtful, critical thinking that considers multiple perspectives and to encourage and participate in respectful dialogue rooted in love, hope, and compassion to drive action toward change that benefits our shared humanity. All people deserve a life of safety, health, dignity, and respect.

To learn along with us, following are some resources to start:

Al Jazeera: What’s the Israel-Palestine conflict about? A simple guide

The Guardian: Israel and Palestine: a complete guide to the crisis

The Guardian: An experts’ guide: culture to help understand the Israel-Palestine conflict

BBC: Israel Gaza war: History of the conflict explained

Christian Science Monitor: What Israelis see, and don’t see, about the war in Gaza

Foreign Policy Magazine: The Best Books for Understanding the Israel-Hamas War

Visualizing Palestine 101 (VP101): a data-led visual resource and educational hub designed for people learning and teaching about Palestine.

Center for Disaster Philanthropy: Palestinian-Israeli Humanitarian Crisis

BBC News Video: What is happening in Israel and Gaza Strip? And other questions

Vox Video: The Israel-Palestine conflict: a brief, simple history

Jadaliyya: Gaza In Context Teach-In: First Session, Gaza 101