Jewish Voice for Peace-Buffalo and Allies to Deliver Petitions to WNY Lawmakers Demanding U.S. Halt Weapons Shipments to Israel
Action at Buffalo offices of Senator Gillibrand and Representative Kennedy will feature a broad coalition of organizations and speakers demanding an arms embargo.
Contact: jvpbuffalo@gmail.com
Buffalo, New York (October 30th, 3pm) — Jewish Buffalonians and allies will gather outside the offices of U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and U.S. Rep. Tim Kennedy at 726 Exchange Street in Buffalo to launch their petition campaign demanding that the lawmakers support a Congressional resolution to block $20 billion in US arms sales to Israel and calling for an arms embargo until Israel ends its year-long genocidal siege against Palestinians in Gaza.
Dozens of members of Jewish Voice for Peace-Buffalo and allied peace and faith-based groups will gather outside in front of the building that houses Gillibrand’s and Kennedy’s offices to hear from several speakers, including Craig Mokhiber, the former director of the New York office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights who resigned in October 2023 after the U.N. failed to address large-scale atrocities in Gaza. After the speakers, a delegation will attempt to deliver hundreds of signed petitions directly to Gillibrand’s and Kennedy’s offices inside the building.
“Israel has been carrying out a genocidal onslaught against the Palestinian people for over a year now, with tens of thousands of Palestinian children killed and injured,” said Derek Seidman, a member of Jewish Voice for Peace-Buffalo. “The whole world is demanding that U.S. lawmakers finally stop arming and enabling Israel’s war machine, led by an illiberal far-right regime, as it destroys Gaza and recklessly provokes a wider regional war.”
The petitions that protesters will deliver call on WNY representatives to support Senator Bernie Sanders’ Joint Resolution of Disapproval (JRD) to block any additional weapons shipments to Israel. U.S. weapons are facilitating Israel’s genocidal assault on Gaza, violent annexation of the West Bank, and indiscriminate bombing of civilians in Lebanon. The action and petition delivery come as the known death toll in Gaza exceeds 42,000 Palestinians and Israeli human rights organization B’Tselem warns of the “ethnic cleansing” of northern Gaza, all while the threat of a wider war with Iran looms
“U.S. Congressional lawmakers and President Biden have the choice to stop the ongoing humanitarian disaster in Gaza and prevent a wider regional war that will be catastrophic for everyone,” said Jen Kaminsky, a member of Jewish Voice for Peace-Buffalo. “Senators Schumer and Gillibrand and Representative Kennedy now have the chance to finally show real leadership by supporting Senator Bernie Sanders’ Joint Resolution of Disapproval, which is a necessary first step toward military de-escalation, the return of hostages, and the end to the unspeakable horrors inflicted on Palestinians.”
The action is being organized by Jewish Voice for Peace-Buffalo and partner organizations. Participants will prominently include Jewish residents of the Buffalo area.
Media welcome: Interviews will be available with representatives of Jewish Voice for Peace-Buffalo and others. Photos and videos of the action will be available upon request.
Jewish Voice for Peace is a national, grassroots organization inspired by Jewish tradition to work for a just and lasting peace according to principles of human rights, equality, and international law for all the people of Israel and Palestine.