To Palestine, With Love
This Valentine’s Day, CODEPINK sends all of our love to all of Palestine and lift up the Palestinian struggle.
All our love to the martyrs…
The word martyr, or “shahid” in Arabic, is used by Palestinians to describe any person who was killed by an aggressor, regardless of religion. Despite how many Palestinians Israel murders, we refuse to see their deaths as numbers, and martyrdom is a way to commemorate them with the respect they deserve. It is important to connect every Palestinian murdered by the Israeli occupation to the larger cause for Palestinian liberation. Calling them martyrs gives them a dignified memory, not defined as victims but rather as one to be respected and honored.
Reminding oneself of the tens of thousands of Palestinian martyrs is a method to ground oneself in the continued effort towards liberation — the ultimate justice for Palestinian martyrs.
All our love to the reporters, journalists, and truth-tellers…
Over 100 journalists in Gaza have been killed since October 7th. Many others have had their families targeted and their homes destroyed. As our governments and media tell us lies to justify a genocide, the brave journalists in Gaza are arming us with the truth. Because of them, we know what is happening. Because we know what is happening, we can put an end to it.
Our hearts are with the journalists in Gaza.
All our love to the healthcare workers…
Since and before October 7th, Israel has repeatedly attacked hospitals and ambulances in Gaza. Despite this indiscriminate aggression towards Gaza’s healthcare workers and their patients, these brave nurses, doctors, and other staff continue to show up to care for the wounded.
“If I go, who treats my patients? We are not animals. We have the right to receive proper healthcare. So we can’t just leave… You think I went to medical school and for my postgraduate degrees for a total of 14 years so I think only about my life and not my patients? Dr. Hammam Alloh Al-Shifa Hospital doctor martyred by an Israeli airstrike on November 11, 2023
Our hearts are with the healthcare workers fighting for the lives of so many in Gaza.
All our love to the mothers…
Two mothers in Gaza are killed by Israel every hour. 70% of the casualties in Gaza are women and children. There are 50,000 expecting mothers in Gaza. Miscarriages are up 300%. 20,000 newborn babies are being denied neonatal care. Even in the midst of genocide, mothers in Gaza continue to breathe life into their families and communities.
Our hearts are with our sisters in Gaza as they care for their people in ways the world refuses to.
All our love to the aid workers…
Though Gaza has been under Israeli siege for many years, it has only intensified since October 7th. Gaza continues to be deliberately starved as the Israeli military attacks the aid that does enter and has even attacked those distributing or receiving aid. In the past month, Israel accused 12 UNRWA employees of being part of Hamas without evidence. Consequently, the West cut nearly half of its funding. UNRWA is the largest aid delivery organization in Gaza. Israel’s attacks on aid delivery show us that this “war” is not about eliminating Hamas, but rather eliminating the chance of survival for all Palestinians in Gaza.
Our hearts are with all the workers, drivers, and volunteers working to feed, clothe, and take care of the people of Gaza.
All of our love to Palestinian men…
Civilian men in Gaza are demonized & deemed “terrorists” for no crime other than being Palestinian. We’ve seen innocent Palestinian men stripped, bound, kidnapped, tortured, blindfolded, and executed as the world watches on. These men are the ones searching in the rubble for strangers, comforting traumatized children, and sharing what they have so others may survive.
Our hearts are with the men in Gaza as they show unwavering humanity under the most inhumane conditions possible.
All of our love to the political prisoners…
For years, countless Palestinians have been regularly kidnapped and caged by Israeli Occupation Forces in both the West Bank and Gaza. After October 7th, Israel doubled the number of Palestinian political prisoners to over 10,000. Without providing charges or a trial, Israel routinely abducts innocent Palestinian men, women, and children and imprisons them indefinitely. Palestinian prisoners endure horrendous conditions, including beatings, rape, torture, and starvation. Even behind bars, they continue to successfully resist and organize for justice & freedom.
Our hearts are with the Palestinian prisoners on the frontlines of the struggle against the occupation. Free them all.
All of our love to the international solidarity…
Even in the face of U.S. and Israeli intimidation, governments around the world have taken a stand for Gaza. 153 countries voted in favor of a ceasefire at the UN General Assembly. Damning legal charges have been brought against Israel in international courts by countries like Bolivia and South Africa, with many other countries behind them.
Our hearts are with the vast majority of the world who acknowledge and fight for the same truth: Israel’s genocide in Gaza must end.
All of our love to the children…
Since October 7th, over 12,000 children have been killed in Gaza with many more children injured, orphaned, or amputated. The children of Gaza have had their childhoods put on an indefinite pause as Israel continues to terrorize their communities. Still, they fly kites. They play games. They laugh when they can. It is remarkable to see these children experience joy and friendship under such horrendous conditions.
Our hearts are with the children of Gaza. May their childhood return soon.
All of our love to the resistance…
In Palestine and around the world, people are rising up for peace, justice, and liberation. For over 75 years, Zionists have tried to colonize the land of Palestine and steal it from its rightful stewards. In the face of steadfast resistance, they continue to fail. As the mass dispossession and oppression of the Palestinian people grows only more belligerent, the resolve and unity of those struggling for freedom has only grown stronger. The people of Palestine and their allies around the world will continue to rightfully resist as long as Israel’s oppression persists.
Our hearts are with all of these freedom fighters until liberation.
All of our love,
CODEPINK