Senator Gary Peters Letter:
August 7, 2024
Dear Mr. Charafeddine,
Thank you for contacting me about the war between Israel and Hamas. I appreciate you taking the time to express your views. Hearing directly from Michiganders like you helps inform me of the issues that matter to our state. I am so grateful for your input.
As your Senator and a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, I am closely monitoring the situation in the Middle East. I was horrified by the vicious, coordinated terrorist attacks by Hamas on innocent Israeli citizens. I condemn this terrorism in the strongest terms. Furthermore, I am horrified by the deaths of civilians in Gaza resulting from the conflict and the lack of access to basic resources.
I support Israel’s right to defend itself and its citizens from the indiscriminate violence perpetrated by Hamas. Israel also has the authority and responsibility to rescue hostages being held by Hamas. While engaged in rescue efforts, the Israeli government must make every effort to ensure innocent civilians in Gaza and the West Bank are not targeted by the Israeli military. That is why I am a proud cosponsor of a resolution reaffirming Congressional support of Israel as well as a resolution calling for the safe return of all hostages. Furthermore, I joined all my Senate colleagues in passing Leader Schumer and Leader McConnell’s bipartisan resolution condemning the Hamas terrorist attack. I also voted in favor of advancing national security supplemental funding to provide critical aid to both Israel and Ukraine which was signed into law on April 20, 2024 with strong bipartisan support. In addition to security assistance, this package included emergency funding for humanitarian efforts in Gaza, the West Bank, Ukraine, and other conflict zones.
As this conflict continues, innocent civilians, including American citizens in Gaza, are desperately in need of lifesaving humanitarian aid. In order to support efforts to provide aid to the civilians of Gaza, I joined dozens of my fellow senators in sending a letter to Secretary Blinken calling on the administration to provide additional humanitarian support. I am deeply troubled by the allegations that twelve employees from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) were involved in the October 7th terrorist attacks. The United States has paused funding in response to the allegations. The UN must hold those involved accountable and strengthen oversight of UNRWA operations in order to restore donor trust. It is imperative that the UNRWA is able to continue serving the millions of Palestinian civilians who depend on its services.
In addition to the needs of those in Gaza, Palestinian civilians abroad know returning home remains unsafe. That is why my colleagues and I sent a bicameral letter to President Biden calling on the administration to designate the Palestinian territories for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and/or authorize Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) for Palestinians present in the United States. Since sending this letter, the Biden Administration has authorized Deferred Enforced Departure for Palestinians. In addition to supporting Israeli efforts to root out Hamas, preventing civilian deaths must remain a top priority in order to build a lasting stable peace in the region.
As we look ahead to the future, I remain hopeful that a two-state solution can be achieved and that there is a more peaceful and prosperous future for both Israelis and Palestinians. I have joined 49 of my Democratic colleagues in cosponsoring an amendment led by Senator Schatz that was filed on the national security supplemental package reaffirming that a two-state solution is the policy of the United States. A two-state solution remains the best option for lasting stability in the region and U.S. diplomacy will continue to play a critical role in establishing a lasting peace. As the Senate considers policies related to Palestine and Israel, I will be sure to keep your views in mind.
Thank you again for contacting me. I always appreciate hearing from you and hope that you take the time to contact me again soon. For more information, please feel free to visit my website, http://www.peters.senate.gov, or find me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @SenGaryPeters.
Sincerely,
Gary C. Peters
United States Senator
Wissam Charafeddine Answer:
Dear Senator Gary Peters,
Thank you for your response to me. Although I understand that these responses are generic and executed by your team, I still feel the need to fulfill my duty as a constituent of yours in responding with the best of my ability, to help keep you informed, and share with you the views of your constituents.
My name is Wissam Charafeddine, and my family has been in Michigan since 1894. My Great Grandfather, Mohamad Salim Bazzi, was a World War I veteran serving the army of the United States. I graduated with a Masters Degree from University of Michigan and I have been serving in the public education domain since 2008. I have extensive work in social programs, charity, and cultural programs, from volunteering in Amnesty International, ACLU, CAIR, Boy Scouts of America, to being on the board of the American Educational Foundation, ACCESS Substance Abuse Prevention, Center for Inquiry, Michigan Humanists, the Congregation of Humanistic Judaisim, to founding of multiple non-profits such as Institute for Religious Studies, Humanities and Dialogue [IRSHAD], Arab American Center for Culture and Arts [AACCA], AlNadwa Freethinking Society, Muslimish, Arab Humanists, and Livonia Salon.
In addition to that, I am humbled by contributing to the World’s library 4 published works of poetry, three non-fiction books in English, and three non-fiction books in Arabic.
You opened your letter stating that you were “horrified by the vicious, coordinated terrorist attacks by Hamas on innocent Israeli citizens”. Our hearts go out to the 851 civilians killed on that day, some by Hamas, and some by Israeli soldiers using Hannibal Directive. Although it is a horrifying attack, but a man who has been an instrument in funding the IDF and Israeli government, and emboldening the Apartheid Rogue State of Israel, should not be shocked that such an attack happens.
Since the establishment of the Zionist project, Zionist forces and gangs have relied on terror and ethnic cleansing, well documented historically, to establish its state in 1948, supported by Christian Evangelical Zionism, some of which with antisemitic ferver like that of which Balfour had. Among the 100’s of terrorist attacks of these Zionist gangs was King David Hotel Bombing that killed 91 civilians on July 22, 1946.
Since the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, successive governments have created and maintained a system of laws, policies, and practices designed to oppress and dominate Palestinians. This system plays out in different ways across the different areas where Israel exercises control over Palestinians’ rights, but the intent is always the same: to privilege Jewish Israelis at the expense of Palestinians.
In May 2021, the world turned its attention to Sheikh Jarrah, a neighborhood in occupied East Jerusalem, where Palestinian families began protesting against Israel’s plans to forcibly evict them from their homes to make way for Jewish settlers. Many of these families, already refugees since the establishment of Israel in 1948, have lived under the shadow of displacement for decades. The Israeli authorities, using discriminatory laws, have systematically targeted Palestinians in Sheikh Jarrah, and the surrounding areas, to dispossess them of their land and homes for the benefit of Jewish Israelis.
The protests in Sheikh Jarrah sparked a wave of solidarity among Palestinians across Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT). These demonstrations were not just about Sheikh Jarrah; they were an outcry against a shared experience of fragmentation, dispossession, and segregation. The response from Israeli authorities was swift and brutal, with thousands of Palestinians injured, arrested, and detained. The events of May 2021 were a stark reminder of the daily oppression Palestinians face—an oppression designed to privilege Jewish Israelis at their expense.
Amnesty International’s recent investigation reveals that this system of oppression is not limited to specific incidents but is a pervasive structure imposed across all areas under Israel’s control, including within Israel, the OPT, and against Palestinian refugees. This system, which seeks to benefit Jewish Israelis, constitutes apartheid as defined by international law. Laws, policies, and practices intended to maintain this regime have left Palestinians fragmented, impoverished, and living in a constant state of fear and insecurity.
Apartheid is not just a term; it is a crime against humanity under international criminal law. Originally used to describe the racial segregation system in South Africa, apartheid now represents any regime of systematic oppression and domination by one racial group over another. The crime of apartheid involves inhumane acts committed to maintain such a regime, and Israel’s treatment of Palestinians fits this definition, making it imperative for the international community to address this grave violation of human rights.
Amnesty International is calling for an end to Israel’s apartheid system. The organization urges the dismantling of the policies and practices of fragmentation, segregation, discrimination, and deprivation that sustain this system. It is time for the world to stand with Palestinians, to demand justice, freedom, and equality, and to hold Israel accountable for its actions. Ending the practice of home demolitions is a crucial first step towards dismantling this system of apartheid and ensuring that Palestinian families can live in their homes without fear of displacement.
The report from the United Nations Human Rights Council, authored by the Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese, focuses on Israel’s actions in Gaza, including the deliberate destruction of healthcare infrastructure, accusations of using hospitals as shields, and the impact on civilians. It discusses the distortion of International Humanitarian Law by Israel to justify violence against Palestinians and suggests genocidal intent camouflaged with legal terminology. The report concludes that there are reasonable grounds to believe that genocidal acts have been committed against Palestinians in Gaza and provides recommendations for accountability, arms embargo, investigations into violations of international law, and measures to address harm inflicted on the Palestinian people.
Israel is an occupation and thus it will be attacked by resistance, and there is no right of defense for any occupation force.
Your support to continue to supply genocide with weapons that kills women and children makes you complicit in genocide and a suspect of War Crime under Geneva convention and International Law.
Two state solution is not possible with war criminals. You should seek international law in taking war criminals to justice, dismantling the racist Nazi Israeli government, and establishing a new government that is more prone for peace and international law, then the two state solution can be revived.
It is deeply troubling and morally reprehensible to support or justify any system that perpetuates apartheid and genocide. Such positions stand in stark opposition to the principles of justice, equality, and human dignity. Defending or endorsing the systematic oppression and brutalization of an entire people is not just a betrayal of fundamental human rights, but a grave moral failing. Every person, regardless of their background or nationality, deserves to live free from fear, discrimination, and violence. It is incumbent upon us all to oppose any form of apartheid and to advocate for the rights and freedoms of those who are oppressed.
I hope you consider changing your path, and if you don’t, I hope the ghosts of the children of Gaza will haunt you for the rest of your life.
Wissam Charafeddine
Dearborn Blog 