Thursday, August 2, 2020

Not In My Name, a gathering of Chicago Jews critical of Israeli policies toward Palestinians, will hold a vigil at 435 N. Michigan Ave. at 12 Noon on Friday, August 3, to protest Israel's continuing policy of assassinating Palestinians.

"As Jews and as Americans, we are outraged at Israel's continued use of assassinations against Palestinians," stated Steven Feuerstein, spokesperson for Not In My Name.  "No judge, no jury, no arrest, no trial.  Instead, based on 'secret evidence,' the Israeli government simply decides that a certain person should die.  Then it sends a death squad out to find the person and execute him."

Israel's assassinations have prompted strong condemnation from many human rights organizations, including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and Israel's own B'Tselem, and Gush-Shalom.  Israel often kills and injuries other Palestinians as it pursues and kills Palestinians it claims are a threat to its security.  Three weeks ago, they murdered Ishaq Saa'deh, a teacher and peace activist who worked closely with Israeli peace activists.

Just this week an Israeli strike killed six Palestinians inside a Hamas office.  Two brothers, Ashraf and Bilal Khader, ages 5 and 8, who were waiting for their mother on the street below were also murdered.  The boys died from shrapnel, said doctors at the Nablus hospital.

"Israel's death squads do not make Israel more secure," says Cindy Levitt, coordinator of Not In My Name.  "Instead, these assassinations destabilize the situation, make it harder to achieve peace and invite provocations from organizations such as Hamas.  If Israel truly seeks peace, then it must end its assassination policy and also freeze any settlement activity in the Palestinian land it occupies."

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