A list of musicians published an open letter credited as #MusiciansForPalestine in support of Palestine in light of recent attacks on the state committed by Israel. Signed by names such as Serj Tankian , Roger Waters , Rage Against The Machine , Patti Smith , among others, the letter repudiates “Israeli war crimes” and encourages other musicians to show support for Palestine.
“Silence is not an option when Israel’s brutal bombing of a besieged Gaza has claimed more than 245 lives in recent weeks. Silence is not an option when residents of Sheikh Jarrah in Jerusalem are continually forced from their homes. Silence is not an option when millions of Palestinian refugees are denied their collective right of return,” the letter says. Read the full letter here.
Violent conflicts erupted in Gaza in early May when an Israeli attempt was made to expel six Arab families from their homes in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood. Israeli-Palestinian relations had already been strained since the previous month, when Israel tried to prevent Palestinian celebrations at the start of the holy month of Ramadan.
Since then, the offensive in the Gaza Strip has killed at least 253 Palestinians, including 66 children, and injured more than 1,900 people, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health. The letter signed by the musicians continues: “We call on all governments to stop funding all resources and technologies that support the Israeli state and its war games. Today, we speak of unity and demand justice, dignity, and the right to autonomy for the Palestinian people and all those fighting against colonial dispossession and violence around the world.”
