A-list celebrities from Hollywood, such as Selena Gomez, Bella Hadid, Gigi Hadid, Jennifer Lopez, and Zayn Malik, have sent an open letter to US President Joe Biden pleading with him to move quickly and demand an immediate ceasefire in Gaza in light of the current violence between Israel and Hamas. Prominent groups such as ActionAid USA and Oxfam America have endorsed this project.
The letter urgently highlights the need for a de-escalation and ceasefire in Gaza and Israel in order to stop more deaths. It makes a strong case for these measures. The tragic loss of almost 5,000 lives in the last seven and a half is highlighted by the artists, who feel that this figure should “stir the conscience of any person”.
Prominent individuals like Anoushka Shankar, Ben Affleck, Bradley Cooper, Channing Tatum, Drake, Dua Lipa, Joaquin Phoenix, Joe Alwyn, Kristen Stewart, Michael Moore, and Sarah Jones are among those who have signed the open letter. These musicians who have banded together for this humanitarian cause are listed on the official website, artists4ceasefire.org.
Here’s the full text of the open letter!
Dear President Biden,
We come together as artists and advocates, but most importantly as human beings witnessing the devastating loss of lives and unfolding horrors in Israel and Palestine.
We ask that, as President of the United States, you and the US Congress call for an immediate de-escalation and ceasefire in Gaza and Israel before another life is lost. More than 5,000 people have been killed in the last week and a half – a number any person of conscience knows is catastrophic. We believe all life is sacred, no matter faith or ethnicity and we condemn the killing of Palestinian and Israeli civilians.
We urge your administration, Congress, and all world leaders, to honor all of the lives in the Holy Land and call for and facilitate a ceasefire without delay – an end to the bombing of Gaza, and the safe release of hostages. Half of Gaza’s two million residents are children, and more than two thirds are refugees and their descendants being forced to flee their homes. Humanitarian aid must be allowed to reach them.
We believe that the United States can play a vital diplomatic role in ending the suffering and we are adding our voices to those from the US Congress, UNICEF, Doctors without Borders, The International Committee of The Red Cross, and so many others. Saving lives is a moral imperative. To echo UNICEF, “Compassion — and international law — must prevail.”
As of this writing more than 6,000 bombs have been dropped on Gaza in the last 12 days – resulting in one child being killed every 15 minutes.
“Children and families in Gaza have practically run out of food, water, electricity, medicine and safe access to hospitals, following days of air strikes and cuts to all supply routes. Gaza’s sole power plant ran out of fuel Wednesday afternoon, shutting down electricity, water and wastewater treatment. Most residents can no longer get drinking water from service providers or household water through pipelines…. The humanitarian situation has reached lethal lows, and yet all reports point to further attacks. Compassion — and international law — must prevail.” – UNICEF spokesperson James Elder
Beyond our pain and mourning for all of the people there and their loved ones around the world we are motivated by an unbending will to stand for our common humanity. We stand for freedom, justice, dignity and peace for all people – and a deep desire to stop more bloodshed.
We refuse to tell future generations the story of our silence, that we stood by and did nothing. As Emergency Relief Chief Martin Griffiths told UN News, “History is watching.”
