The Workers Circle Calls for Upholding International Law and for the Cessation of Violence to Stop Humanitarian Catastrophe
October 18, 2023
Contact: Lynsey Billet, lynsey@anatgerstein.com 347-361-8449
The Workers Circle again condemns the heinous attacks by Hamas that have left more than 1,400 people dead and thousands injured. Nearly 200 people, most civilians, many children and elderly, including Holocaust survivors, are still being held as hostages. We urge the international community to work for their immediate and safe release.
It is precisely during the worst times of violence and fear that the Geneva Conventions are intended to serve as a moral compass for all parties – groups, nation states, and individuals. That is the very idea of international humanitarian law – that no actor is above it and there is no justification for laying it aside.
The Workers Circle again denounces the Hamas attacks as a gross violation of international law and calls for the immediate and safe release of all hostages.
The Workers Circle condemns the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Gaza that has claimed the lives of thousands and is jeopardizing the lives of two million people. Democratic nations have a particular responsibility to center human rights and assure the protection of civilians.
The Workers Circle calls on the leaders of Israel to immediately restore food, power, and water to Gaza, to stop bombings of Gaza that are claiming the lives of thousands of civilians, to allow refugees to leave, to stop the escalation of violence and to help address the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Gaza.
We further call on the United States to use our power to de-escalate this conflict, uphold human rights and provide humanitarian assistance.
We reiterate our call to all parties in the region to uphold international law and create a pathway for human rights and peace.
About the Workers Circle
The Workers Circle is a national, secular, Jewish social justice organization founded by Eastern European immigrants who came to the United States fleeing autocracy and persecution, and seeking democratic freedoms and economic opportunities at the turn of the 20th century. That history drives our work for an inclusive democracy and human equality today. Our activism is rooted in 1,000 years of Yiddish culture and tradition. Through strategic social justice campaigns, vibrant Yiddish language classes, and interactive educational programs, we power a multi-generational community of activists that is building “a better and more beautiful world for all.” Learn more at www.circle.org.