“The frustrating part about watching that hearing was the lack of concern for how the United States military could really impact billions of people on this planet,” said Hassan El-Tayyab of the Quaker advocacy group Friends Committee on National Legislation. “There were so many pressing issues and existential issues to the United States, our allies, and the planet at large that were not addressed.”
FCNL welcomes reports of a ceasefire and hostage exchange between Israel and Hamas with cautious optimism and persistent hope.
Tomorrow, January 11, 2002, 23 years ago, Guantánamo was opened as a prison for the War on Terror. Its history has been marked by abuse, torture, and indefinite detention.
As we begin a new year, we are preparing for a new chapter for our advocacy.
With the new Trump administration just weeks away, the 119th Congress is officially underway with new members being sworn in beginning today.
As we look to challenging work ahead, we are also taking a moment to reflect on the pain and progress of the past year.
BREAKING: Today, the Senate unanimously passed the Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies Act (S. 1723)! This is “a landmark milestone in the fight for truth and healing,” FCNL’s Rachel Overstreet said. It is also a major testament to your advocacy and the courageous, persistent efforts of Native advocates and boarding schools survivors. Now, the House must follow suit and move swiftly to pass this vital legislation before the end of the 118th Congress on Jan. 3, 2025.
On Nov. 20, Congress held its first-ever vote to block offensive weapons sales to Israel. Senators voted on three Joint Resolutions of Disapproval (JRDs) Bernie Sanders had introduced to prevent the sale of specific offensive weapons used in well-documented Gaza human rights violations. While they did not pass, 19 senators voted in favor, marking a significant milestone for a growing movement to end the war in Gaza and a change in the nature of the US-Israel relationship.
So why was I excited about a vote that we were about to “lose?” Because at FCNL, where one of our core values is perseverance, our advocacy is never about one vote alone. We are prophetic, persistent, and patient.
In historic votes Wednesday evening, 19 senators sent a strong message: U.S. complicity in the Israeli government’s catastrophic war in Gaza is unacceptable and must end!
Hassan El-Tayyab, an advocacy organiser at the Friends Committee on National Legislation, a Quaker social justice group, described the upcoming vote as “historic”. He said the resolutions send a message to President Joe Biden, his successor-in-waiting Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the “status quo is unacceptable”.
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