Ron DeSantis, Florida Republicans, and Vertol Systems didn’t stop with the Martha’s Vineyard flight. In June, 36 Latin American migrants were deceived and promised work, housing, and food if they agreed to be flown to California on a chartered flight organized by Vertol Systems. And just last month, DeSantis floated the idea of flying Haitian migrants to Martha’s Vineyard. Enough is enough! We have to stop these flights before it’s too late. The migrants who were trafficked to Martha’s Vineyard have since sued Vertol Systems, and a federal judge has allowed the lawsuit to proceed and said that there was evidence to support that the migrants were targeted because they were Latinx. The federal judge recognized these sham flights as a political stunt asserting that DeSantis was exploiting migrants "in a scheme to boost the national profile of Defendant DeSantis and manipulate them for political ends,” and ruled that the treatment of these migrants was "extreme, outrageous, uncivilized, intolerable, and stunning.” It’s shameful that instead of treating asylum-seekers with the due process, dignity and care they deserve, Vertol Systems and Republican governors like Ron DeSantis are exploiting them and using them as political pawns. These are not isolated incidents. They are deliberate actions relentlessly carried out by anti-immigrant Republicans. It’s completely unacceptable, and there is no excuse for Vertol Systems to continue profiting off of deceived migrants. They must stop organizing the flights NOW. Will you take action and sign the petition?

More than 33,000 people have been killed in Gaza since October 7. And according to the U.N. and world humanitarian organizations, this catastrophe is going to rapidly become a man-made famine because the Israeli government continues to block critical humanitarian aid from entering Gaza. The United Nations’ World Food Program estimates that at least 300 trucks are needed to enter Gaza every single day here on out to be distribute food to meet the most basic of needs for civilians. and distribute food to meet only the basic hunger needs. Organizations have been trying to enter Gaza for months to meet the needs of civilians and have been blocked at every step of the way. Recently the Israeli security cabinet approved the opening of the Erez crossing with the Gaza strip for the first time since the October 7 attack, but that’s not nearly enough to account for the mass devastation that has already happened to more than 33,000 civilians in Gaza. We acknowledge that humanitarian aid will be life-changing for people on-the-ground, but a lack of security and instability will still consume the region and the civilians. The humanitarian needs should be met first, followed by an immediate ceasefire to create and sustain peace for all.

CNN and The New York Times are two major news outlets who largely control narratives and public perceptions on any given topic. We deserve fair and honest coverage. CNN and The New York Times must stop the journalistic malpractice NOW. Recently, a freelance Israeli journalist for The New York Times was exposed for liking a social media post that called for Israel to turn the Gaza Strip “into a slaughterhouse” and other horrific content. This exposes a clear bias in traditional news media, and they must do better. And The New York Times' language to describe the killing of Israeli people versus Palestinian people has been damningly passive. The words "slaughter," "horrific," and "massacre" have been used in relation to Israelis 86 times but only three times for Palestinians. And when discussing the prisoner exchanges, The New York Times referred to “Israeli women and children” being exchanged for “Palestinian women and minors.” Since October 7, news outlets have been partially responsible for messaging to the American people about what's happening, and some of the facts are just not adding up. CNN agreed to terms that condition that in order to enter Gaza, they'd have to submit all materials and footage to the Israeli military for review prior to publication, giving the Israeli military the opportunity to suppress content and materials that might showcase Palestinian suffering. CNN also hired a former Israeli military soldier, who was a member of the IDF’s Spokesperson Unit which is responsible for public relations, to report on CNN’s war coverage. There are record reports of increased acts of hate against Muslim, Arab, and Jewish communities throughout the country. Outlets’ choice to publish articles that inflame tensions and increase hatred against communities already experiencing a record number of hateful threats is irresponsible and dangerous. The media plays a huge role in public perception and opinion. Media outlets have a responsibility to publish factual articles and to act with journalistic integrity that promotes the peace and safety of all peoples. CNN and The New York Times have staff that are sounding the alarm about journalistic malpractice. We must come together in solidarity to hold CNN and The New York Times accountable and to demand that they report fairly and honestly. Will you take action now and sign the petition?

The UNRWA is one of the largest U.N programs with over 30,000 staff. The U.S. rashly halted funding in January after Israel officials accused a handful of UNRWA staff members of involvement with Hamas and the attacks on October 7, 2023. Despite the lack of evidence, UNRWA swiftly launched an independent investigation and increased standards for transparency and accountability. Still, dozens of countries followed the U.S. in pausing aid, pushing UNRWA to a breaking point and exacerbating the starvation and dehydration crisis facing innocent civilians. In March, Sweden and Canada announced they would be resuming funding after reviewing the interim report of the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) and observing the immediate measures taken by the UNRWA to strengthen transparency and accountability. Hundreds of thousands of people in Palestinian are on the brink of famine. The U.S. provides more funding to the UNRWA than any other country. Without assistance, the UNRWA may not be able to keep up humanitarian efforts in the region and many more innocent people will die from hunger—disproportionately affecting women and children in Gaza. Cutting off access to food and water is inhumane and violates international humanitarian law. As we continue to push for a ceasefire, we must make sure that civilians receive aid IMMEDIATELY to stop starvation and dehydration, and that means funding the UNRWA so they can continue to provide necessary services. PHOTO: AP Photo/Nasser Nasser

The IDF has a pattern of targeting and killing Palestinian journalists, according to media rights groups. Add your name to call for an independent investigation into the killing of journalists in Gaza. Media reports from Gaza are one of the few ways information comes out of the strip, with restrictions on media in place by the IDF and limited or no internet and phone access in Gaza. Meanwhile, Palestinian journalists share that they are having to choose between dying with their loved ones or reporting the news from a human catastrophe unprecedented in modern history. Netanyahu’s siege of Gaza is already the deadliest period for journalists since the Committee to Protect Journalists began collecting data in 1992. More than 79 journalists have been killed in Gaza, 72 of whom were Palestinian. By one estimate, 1 out of every 10 journalists in Gaza has been killed, making it the single-biggest death toll for journalists in a conflict zone in years. Media and human rights organizations are calling for an independent investigation into the targeting of journalists in Gaza. Reporters without Borders has filed multiple war crimes complaints with the International Criminal Court (ICC) regarding the deaths of journalists in Gaza. In a CPJ report, titled "Deadly Pattern," the media rights group concluded that a "routine sequence" occurs when a journalist is killed by the IDF. Despite all evidence, the CPJ reported that “no one has ever been charged or held accountable for these deaths.” Journalists must be protected. Their coverage and reporting from inaccessible and often ignored places are one of the only ways to reveal the truth in an otherwise contentious or controlled narrative.

Stop the atrocities and genocide against the Palestinian people.

We are a group of Jewish Americans, Israelis, and Palestinians of the greater DC area, calling for the end of the cycle of violence and an immediate bilateral ceasefire. We stand with all the people of Palestine and Israel and reject the zero-sum framework that we are seeing around us. We are outraged and sickened both by the massacre, kidnapping, and rape of Israelis by Hamas and by Israel’s ongoing massacres and collective punishment in Gaza, creating a severe humanitarian crisis. In our own communities in the United States, we are shocked and saddened by those who continue to justify, encourage, and glorify the killing, destruction, and cycle of blood. We reject all anti-Arab racism, anti-Palestinian racism, antisemitism, and Islamophobia in our community. We call for an immediate bilateral ceasefire as a first step to a long-term political solution. There is no military solution to this conflict. As long as the ideology of Hamas exists, Hamas cannot be completely eliminated. And as long as military occupation, settler terrorism, and economic blockades are in place over Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, peace will not be feasible. During the temporary truce, it was made clear that the only way to bring the hostages home alive and to save the lives of Gazans is through negotiation. Continued bombing, siege, invasion, and occupation of Gaza – inflicting incalculable death and harm on innocent Palestinians - is immoral. Violence begets violence, both in the immediate and in future generations. It is time to end this dynamic in the interest of everyone in the region. In the words of activists from the Parents Circle, an organization bringing together over 600 bereaved families from both sides of the conflict: “The arc of history is long. Germany once tried to wipe out Jews and now exchanges ambassadors with Israel. Some day, Israel and Palestine will coexist as states, and the question is simply how many corpses will pile up before that happens. We must share this land as one state or two states or five states; otherwise, we will share this same piece of land as the graveyards of our kids.” - Bassam Aramin, whose daughter was killed by the IDF. “Revenge is not going to bring my parents back to life…We must break the cycle.” -Moaz Inon, whose parents were killed by Hamas on October 7th.

PM Netanyahu and his far-right government are leading a campaign of indiscriminate bombardment, breaking international law both by targeting civilians and using white phosphorus on civilian populations. These attacks have exacerbated the existing humanitarian crisis caused by the Israeli government’s air, land, and sea blockade that has caused catastrophic loss of life. The reality is that the United States government is Israel’s largest supplier of weapons, and every year for the next five years, the U.S. is already sending $3.8 billion in military aid to Israel. And on top of this, the Biden administration proposed sending an additional $14 billion of taxpayer dollars in military aid, which will include military weapons including bombs and tens of thousands of 155mm artillery shells, which have been the Israeli military’s weapon of choice in their ground invasion of Gaza. More than 1,200 Israelis were killed in the Hamas attacks on October 7 and 240 taken hostage. The brutal response and incessant airstrikes launched by Netanyahu following the Hamas attacks have not only escalated the violence, they have created an unprecedented humanitarian crisis with one in 200 Palestinians having been killed in Gaza by PM Netanyahu’s military since October 7. Entire multi-generational Palestinian families have been killed. Entire lineages have been wiped out. Nearly half of Gaza's residents are under the age of 16, and 65% are under the age of 25, effectively meaning that Palestinian children are bearing the brunt of the Israeli government’s collective punishment. This unacceptable, inhumane, unjust, collective punishment is also a violation of international law. It must end now. Despite the fact that the Israeli government has cut off fuel, water, and electricity from people in Gaza, doctors and nurses are still doing the best they can to treat their patients. Unfortunately, though, more than half of the 30 hospitals in Gaza have been forced to close, and many have run out of necessary medical supplies like anesthesia and painkillers. And many hospitals have been targeted and bombed by Israeli military airstrikes. 50,000 pregnant women and people are at great risk in Gaza too with miscarriages, premature births, and stillbirths tripling.One mother, Hind S., almost gave birth to her baby under the rubble in the aftermath of an Israeli airstrike before she was dug out and rushed to a hospital where her baby was born with a broken leg from the airstrike. These are only some of the horror stories that have come from PM Netanyahu’s bombardment of Palestinians. We have to stop this. A United Nations human rights expert has even confirmed that Palestinians are facing mass ethnic cleansing at the hands of the Israeli government and occupation forces. United States leaders have the massive power to step in and stop it. If we come together, we can make a huge difference. Our collective calls for a ceasefire are working, and demanding that our tax dollars won’t be used to bomb civilians is another big step that we can take. And the time is NOW to come together and demand it. Will you add your name to the petition?

We are Jewish residents of Washington, DC, filled with grief for the innocent victims in Israel and Palestine. We are shocked and outraged by the mass murder of Israelis by Hamas. We believe that the ongoing killing and collective punishment of Palestinians in Gaza is wrong. It is not true to our own Jewish values and it will be destructive in the long term. We are also shocked and saddened by those living in the United States and elsewhere who continue to justify, encourage, and in some cases glorify, the killing and destruction from one side or the other. Similarly, there is no place for anti-semitism, anti-Arab and anti-Palestinian racism and Islamophobia in our community. We call for an immediate ceasefire as a first step to a long-term political solution. We believe the best way to bring the hostages home alive is through negotiation. Continued bombing, siege, invasion and occupation of Gaza – inflicting incalculable harm on innocent Palestinians– is immoral, deeply against Jewish values, puts Israeli hostages at far greater risk, and dangerously perpetuates the cycle of violence. This petition was organized by an ad hoc group of Jewish DC residents. To learn more and get involved in our work, email [email protected]

"The Mehdi Hasan Show'' has been on air for over three years. With over half a million viewers on Peacock and hundreds of thousand on Youtube, Mehdi Hasan has received praise for his credible political analysis and sharp interviewing skills, with high profile guests such as Jon Stewart, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy. We need Hasan’s expertise now as much as ever, and canceling Hasan’s show interferes with the public's ability to access fair and balanced reporting. With already existing concerns regarding MSNBC silencing and sidelining its Muslim broadcasters, this latest decision is especially troubling. With over a million viewers, MSNBC is a reputable news outlet and we need it to live up to its standards of journalism and ethics. That starts by supporting Mehdi Hasan and all their Muslim broadcasters. Call on MSNBC to reverse its decision and reinstate “The Mehdi Hasan Show” immediately!

Small chocolate companies are not able to compete against the prices of big chocolate corporations that use child slavery. Since the farm labor is unpaid, and all the wages, just go to the CEOs, it’s no wonder why it’s important to compete against companies like them. However, they have normalized child-slavery in cocoa in West Africa for over 120 years or eight generations. So it’s time for the normality of child slavery in cocoa to become a shocking occurrence, or not happen at all, instead. No competition can happen that’s fair while some employees are (forced into) working for free. Chocolate is an unfair market and there’s no way to compete and no way to enter. New companies would almost have to use cocoa produced by child slavery to have prices near the same as big chocolate corporations. Chocolate companies deserve to be able to compete with Big Chocolate corporations. It’s not fair that they’ve destroyed competition, through the deliberate use of child slavery. And, of course, keeping it all hidden.

As the whole world grapples with the escalated violence in Israel and Palestine, the Israeli government has stopped all food, fuel, water, electricity, and humanitarian assistance from entering Gaza, which has already had devastating impacts on over 2 million people, half of whom are children. The UN agency for Palestinian refugees just announced that “Gaza is running dry,” and hospitals in Gaza reported that their backup generators would run out of fuel last night, cutting off life support and vital systems. This action has exacerbated the existing humanitarian crisis caused by the Israeli government's air, land, and sea blockade, and will likely result in catastrophic loss of life if continued. Nearly half of Gaza is under the age of 16, and 65% under the age of 25, effectively meaning that Palestinian children are bearing the brunt of the Israeli government's collective punishment. It’s unacceptable, inhumane, unjust, collective punishment, and is also a violation of international law. It must end now. President Biden and our leaders must publicly call for an immediate ceasefire and deescalation, demand the protection of all civilians including securing the release of hostages, and tell the Israeli government to turn on electricity in Gaza and to allow humanitarian aid for Palestinians to enter! While the Biden administration is close to an aid agreement with Israeli government officials to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza and establish ‘safe zones,’ there is still no action or plan in place. The United Nations and aid organizations are sounding an alarm that conditions in Gaza are dire right now. There is no time to spare. A military response from Israel will not secure the safety of those currently hostage or trapped, some of whom are Americans, and instead punishes a generation of young Palestinians living in Gaza. Netanyahu, facing mounting pressure and polling the lowest among Israeli voters, has led decades of policies that have resulted in no more peace or safety for Israelis. The Biden administration must call for a ceasefire and urge Netanyahu to do everything in his power to reunite hostages with their loved ones without putting more lives in danger. Israelis and Palestinians must not be bargaining chips, and their lives must be protected through diplomacy and new solutions. The Israeli government is preparing a massive ground invasion of Gaza as you read this, and they have already been targeting and bombing civilians in their attacks, which is an egregious violation of international law. This comes as the Israeli government dropped tens of thousands of leaflets from the sky to issue an evacuation order to Gazans living in the northern Gaza Strip, telling 1.1 million Palestinian residents to evacuate south within 24 hours, which the UN said would be impossible without devastating humanitarian consequences. Then, despite naming which routes would be safe for evacuation, the Israeli government bombed Palestinians evacuating. Humanity and millions human lives are at stake here. We must collectively act now to stop loss of life. United States leaders have the massive power to step in and stop it. And the time is NOW to come together and demand it end. The people of Palestine and Israel deserve to live their lives without fear of violence and mass death. Will you join in solidarity and sign the petition?