On Tisha B’Av - Jewish group IfNotNow LA mourns Palestinian casualties in Gaza

Photo: screenshot YouTube FOX 11 Los Angeles

On August 13, 2024, activists with the pro-Palestine Jewish group IfNotNow – Los Angles blocked the 405 freeway in Los Angeles bringing it to a complete gridlock.

Defining itself as "a movement of anti-Apartheid American Jews working to end our community's support for the Israeli occupation of Palestine," the group expounded its motives and goals in statements on Instagram:

(A)

Today, American Jews risked their bodies to demand a lasting ceasefire and an end to U.S. military aid to Israel. Joe Biden’s administration cannot provide 14 billion dollars in unconditional aid to Israel, cosigning the unbridled murders of Palestinian civilians. A call for a lasting ceasefire is only meaningful if there will be no more funds given to the Israeli military.

We are urging our politicians to listen to the majority of Americans who support a #ceasefire by calling for NO MONEY FOR WAR CRIMES. We demand ALL elected officials to join the growing calls for #ceasefireNOW. From @potus to @congressmansherman and @repkatieporter. A just future for Palestinians starts with ending our limitless support for Israel’s human rights abuses and breach of international humanitarian law.

Judaism teaches us that every life is a world, and to save a life is to save a world. The number of worlds we have lost already is inconceivable. We mourn all lives—both Palestinian and Israeli— lost. We bear witness to the pain of their survivors. And we insist that the carnage end here. 🕊️

(B)

This morning, LA Jews and allies with @ifnotnowla risked their bodies shutting down the 405-S freeway demanding an arms embargo on Israel and a permanent ceasefire. Our politicians must reject AIPAC and their dangerous agenda, and must act to end the ongoing genocide.

We spent this Tisha B’Av mourning the more than 40,000 Palestinians that have been killed. Until our tax dollars stop funding Israel’s atrocities in Gaza, we will continue to disrupt.

(C)

BREAKING: American Jews & allies were just arrested shutting down a Los Angeles freeway on Tisha B’Av to demand an arms embargo and ceasefire. As millions face death, disease, and starvation in Gaza, business cannot continue as usual.

(D)

HAPPENING NOW: LA Jews and allies from @ifnotnowla are sitting on the 405-S freeway in West Los Angeles, observing Tisha B’Av through mourning while demanding an arms embargo on Israel and an immediate ceasefire.

To all those stuck in traffic, we sincerely apologize for the disruption to your day. We are especially sorry to the working class people whose lives have been affected. As a cross-class organization, we have a deep understanding of the impact of this kind of action. However, we also know that what hurts working class people more than standstill traffic is our tax money being spent on military aid to Israel while working families struggle to make ends meet in our own communities.

Since the last time we sat on an LA freeway, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have both expressed their support for a ceasefire in Gaza. However, calling for a ceasefire is not enough if this call is not backed up by action. The only way to end the genocide in Gaza and bring hostages home is with an immediate halt in US weapons transfers to Israel. As she embarks on her presidential campaign, Vice President Harris must reject AIPAC’s toxic agenda and do everything possible to achieve a permanent ceasefire and hostage exchange, starting with support for an immediate arms embargo.

More than 40,000 Palestinians have already been killed by Israel, with the blessing and resources of the US. Our Jewish values compel us to mourn this tragedy while at the same time fighting for it to stop. On Tish B’Av, we remember the atrocities that have been committed against us throughout history. We cannot be complicit in enabling such similar atrocities to be committed against others.

Until the killing stops, we will not be silent and we will not be ignored.

#ArmsEmbargoNow #CeasefireNow #NoJusticeNoPeace #NoMoneyForWarCrimes

On the occasion of Tisha B'Av, IfNotNow issued the following statement:

Tisha B'Av 5784 is a day of immense Jewish sorrow, a commemoration of the destruction of our temple. We mourn the ethnic cleansing of our ancestors, driven from their homes by violence. We say: No more.

We mourn the 76-year ongoing Nakba the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians, driven from their homes by violence. We say: No more.

We mourn the destruction of the overwhelming majority of Gaza's homes and schools and hospitals, driving 90% of its two million people from their homes by violence. We say: No more.

We mourn the tens of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza, largely the descendants of those driven from their homes by violence, killed in the Israeli military's campaign of mass slaughter and starvation this year. We say: No more.

We hold the anguish of the loved ones of all Israeli and Palestinian captives, driven from their homes by violence. We say: No more.

Tisha B'Av is now. The Nakba is now. And because of AIPAC and the rest of the pro-war lobby, our government continues to supply the bombs and machines of death. It's time to say: No more.

Tisha B’Av 5784 means No More Ethnic Cleansing. Tisha B’Av 5784 means Reject AIPAC. Tisha B’Av 5784 means Not Another Bomb.