A group known as ‘Musicians for Palestine’ has gathered thousands of artists to sign a letter requesting a ceasefire in Gaza. They include Nicolás Jaar, Helado Negro, Raffi, KeiyaA, Mandy, Indiana, Kid Cudi, Kid Aftab, Pulp, Bikini Kill, Kali Uchis, Zack de la Rocha, Tom Morello, Lucy Dacus, Vijay Iyer, and many more are among the signatories.
“We cannot be silent,” the letter mentions. “This is a moment of truth for millions worldwide who prize human dignity, and as musicians we are no exception,” it adds. “We stand for life, for love, for justice and for peace. We mourn with all in Palestine/Israel who have lost loved ones. We share their grief and their pain.” The letter continues by acknowledging that in the words of both leading former UN human rights official Craig Mokhiber and well-known US-based Israeli genocide scholar Raz Segal, the unfolding human catastrophe for 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza, half of them children, is a ‘textbook case of genocide’.
The musicians say, “We cannot be neutral in the face of such injustice,” at this point. With Gaza under a ‘complete siege’ after 17 years of Israeli closure, they cannot remain silent.
Regardless of their identities, the musicians ‘unflinchingly condemn oppression in all forms’ elevating the voice of the oppressed. Paulo Freire, a philosopher from Brazil, is quoted in the letter as saying, “To end all violence we must work tirelessly to end its root cause, oppression.”
Openly calling out “75 years of Israel’s military occupation and system of apartheid against Palestinians,” as described by leading international, Palestinian and Israeli human rights organizations, the musicians assert, “We stand firm against all forms of racism, including anti-Blackness, antisemitism, Islamophobia, anti-Arab and anti-Palestinian racism. Those who dehumanise, demonise or collectively blame entire communities or peoples can only hinder our collective liberation.” To conclude, the letter states, “Today, we demand an immediate ceasefire and humanitarian aid in Gaza and an end to the siege. The day after, our vision of a just and peaceful future for all must be our most urgent task. We urge everyone who shares that vision to join us.”