US Rep. Pramila Jayapal recently was rebuked by many in the Congress of the United States for her statement that Israel is a racist state. Her statement is tragically correct. When people who speak important and difficult truths are attacked, the purpose is not just to silence them but also to intimidate others. We at NVI reject this. The world needs more brave people ready to speak unpopular truths raising up our shared humanity. Rep. Jayapal has been a consistent voice for the worth and dignity of all people. In the video below, you will see how she spoke powerfully with Nonviolence International. As she stood with us, when she is under attack, we stand with her and all those willing to speak truth about the sad reality of human suffering. Together we seek to find a path forward to a better world for all. Facing hard truths is an essential part of that path.
Noura Erakat said on Democracy Now!,
I want to point out that nothing that she said was controversial. If Representative Jayapal is wrong, then so are all the experts and the advocates that study this issue and that apply it across the globe. So, the attack on her is actually a bullying and harassment attack that is meant to scare everyone else from even having a conversation and acknowledging this reality on the ground, and, most importantly, taking responsibility for it.
The United States is not just a bystander here. The United States is complicit and a pillar of Israeli apartheid in its provision on unequivocal financial, diplomatic and military support, that, but for that support, Israel could not sustain this regime, which is not surprising, which is not surprising at all, because the U.S. was the last pillar to fall, the last domino to fall, in sustaining apartheid in South Africa, where it had to fall in line with everyone else. But during apartheid South Africa and the international campaign against it during that regime’s tenure, the United States issued the most vetoes within the Security Council to protect apartheid there, just — to protect apartheid in Namibia and South Africa, and here we’re seeing a similar pattern.
As to the way that Representative Jayapal amended her statement, note that she didn’t walk it back. She didn’t say that Israel is a racist state. She wanted to make a distinction between Israeli people and the Israeli government.
Please see this moving video of Rep. Jayapal speaking to NVI.