To donate by check, phone, or other method, see our More Ways to Give page.
U.S. Special Forces veteran and jiu-jitsu professor Alan Shebaro spoke out against Israel's genocidal assault on Gaza during a February 20, 2024 McKinney, Texas City Council meeting.
"This is wrong, and there's nothing more American than speaking out against what's wrong," Alan Shebaro said during a McKinney, Texas City Council meeting.
A U.S. Special Forces combat veteran spoke out during the public comment period of a recent Texas city council meeting, condemning Israel's genocidal assault on Gaza and United States support for the slaughter.
"My name is Alan Shebaro," the 47-year-old 3rd Special Forces Group veteran—who fought during the U.S.-led occupation of Iraq—said during the February 20 meeting in McKinney, Texas, north of Dallas.
"I know war," he continued. "What is going on in Palestine right now is not a war. It is the dehumanization, it's the genocide, it's the ethnic cleansing of a specific people to take their land. This is wrong, and there's nothing more American than speaking out against what's wrong."
Shebaro served 15 years in the U.S. military. Today, he is a 5th-degree jiu-jitsu black belt who owns the Combat Base Texas-Shabaro Jiu-Jitsu academy, which is also the headquarters of the
We Defy Foundation, a group co-founded by Shebaro that's dedicated to preventing veteran suicides. An average of 16 U.S. veterans kill themselves daily.
On Sunday, Aaron Bushnell, an active-duty U.S. airman,
fatally self-immolated outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C., declaring, "I will no longer be complicit in genocide." His last words were, "Free Palestine!"
Shebaro and Bushnell decried U.S. complicity in the Gaza genocide. The U.S. provides Israel with nearly $4 billion in annual military aid and diplomatic support including
three vetoes of United Nations Security Council cease-fire resolutions. The Biden administration—which has repeatedly sidestepped Congress to expedite emergency armed aid to Israel—is also seeking an additional $14.3 billion in military aid for its key Mideast ally.
Israel relies heavily upon U.S. weapons to wage a war in which Israeli forces have killed or maimed at least 100,000 Palestinians in Gaza while forcibly displacing around 90% of the besieged strip's 2.3 million people since the October 7 attacks by Hamas-led militants. Most of the dead are women and children. Thousands more people are missing and presumed buried beneath rubble. Diseases and
deadly starvation have taken hold, with children and elders the most severely affected.
"The U.S. taxpayer is paying for this, which makes it even more frustrating," Shebaro told the McKinney council. "This needs to stop."
The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline—which offers 24/7, free, and confidential support—can be reached by calling or texting 988, or through chat at 988lifeline.org.
Donald Trump’s attacks on democracy, justice, and a free press are escalating — putting everything we stand for at risk. We believe a better world is possible, but we can’t get there without your support. Common Dreams stands apart. We answer only to you — our readers, activists, and changemakers — not to billionaires or corporations. Our independence allows us to cover the vital stories that others won’t, spotlighting movements for peace, equality, and human rights. Right now, our work faces unprecedented challenges. Misinformation is spreading, journalists are under attack, and financial pressures are mounting. As a reader-supported, nonprofit newsroom, your support is crucial to keep this journalism alive. Whatever you can give — $10, $25, or $100 — helps us stay strong and responsive when the world needs us most. Together, we’ll continue to build the independent, courageous journalism our movement relies on. Thank you for being part of this community. |
A U.S. Special Forces combat veteran spoke out during the public comment period of a recent Texas city council meeting, condemning Israel's genocidal assault on Gaza and United States support for the slaughter.
"My name is Alan Shebaro," the 47-year-old 3rd Special Forces Group veteran—who fought during the U.S.-led occupation of Iraq—said during the February 20 meeting in McKinney, Texas, north of Dallas.
"I know war," he continued. "What is going on in Palestine right now is not a war. It is the dehumanization, it's the genocide, it's the ethnic cleansing of a specific people to take their land. This is wrong, and there's nothing more American than speaking out against what's wrong."
Shebaro served 15 years in the U.S. military. Today, he is a 5th-degree jiu-jitsu black belt who owns the Combat Base Texas-Shabaro Jiu-Jitsu academy, which is also the headquarters of the
We Defy Foundation, a group co-founded by Shebaro that's dedicated to preventing veteran suicides. An average of 16 U.S. veterans kill themselves daily.
On Sunday, Aaron Bushnell, an active-duty U.S. airman,
fatally self-immolated outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C., declaring, "I will no longer be complicit in genocide." His last words were, "Free Palestine!"
Shebaro and Bushnell decried U.S. complicity in the Gaza genocide. The U.S. provides Israel with nearly $4 billion in annual military aid and diplomatic support including
three vetoes of United Nations Security Council cease-fire resolutions. The Biden administration—which has repeatedly sidestepped Congress to expedite emergency armed aid to Israel—is also seeking an additional $14.3 billion in military aid for its key Mideast ally.
Israel relies heavily upon U.S. weapons to wage a war in which Israeli forces have killed or maimed at least 100,000 Palestinians in Gaza while forcibly displacing around 90% of the besieged strip's 2.3 million people since the October 7 attacks by Hamas-led militants. Most of the dead are women and children. Thousands more people are missing and presumed buried beneath rubble. Diseases and
deadly starvation have taken hold, with children and elders the most severely affected.
"The U.S. taxpayer is paying for this, which makes it even more frustrating," Shebaro told the McKinney council. "This needs to stop."
The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline—which offers 24/7, free, and confidential support—can be reached by calling or texting 988, or through chat at 988lifeline.org.
A U.S. Special Forces combat veteran spoke out during the public comment period of a recent Texas city council meeting, condemning Israel's genocidal assault on Gaza and United States support for the slaughter.
"My name is Alan Shebaro," the 47-year-old 3rd Special Forces Group veteran—who fought during the U.S.-led occupation of Iraq—said during the February 20 meeting in McKinney, Texas, north of Dallas.
"I know war," he continued. "What is going on in Palestine right now is not a war. It is the dehumanization, it's the genocide, it's the ethnic cleansing of a specific people to take their land. This is wrong, and there's nothing more American than speaking out against what's wrong."
Shebaro served 15 years in the U.S. military. Today, he is a 5th-degree jiu-jitsu black belt who owns the Combat Base Texas-Shabaro Jiu-Jitsu academy, which is also the headquarters of the
We Defy Foundation, a group co-founded by Shebaro that's dedicated to preventing veteran suicides. An average of 16 U.S. veterans kill themselves daily.
On Sunday, Aaron Bushnell, an active-duty U.S. airman,
fatally self-immolated outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C., declaring, "I will no longer be complicit in genocide." His last words were, "Free Palestine!"
Shebaro and Bushnell decried U.S. complicity in the Gaza genocide. The U.S. provides Israel with nearly $4 billion in annual military aid and diplomatic support including
three vetoes of United Nations Security Council cease-fire resolutions. The Biden administration—which has repeatedly sidestepped Congress to expedite emergency armed aid to Israel—is also seeking an additional $14.3 billion in military aid for its key Mideast ally.
Israel relies heavily upon U.S. weapons to wage a war in which Israeli forces have killed or maimed at least 100,000 Palestinians in Gaza while forcibly displacing around 90% of the besieged strip's 2.3 million people since the October 7 attacks by Hamas-led militants. Most of the dead are women and children. Thousands more people are missing and presumed buried beneath rubble. Diseases and
deadly starvation have taken hold, with children and elders the most severely affected.
"The U.S. taxpayer is paying for this, which makes it even more frustrating," Shebaro told the McKinney council. "This needs to stop."
The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline—which offers 24/7, free, and confidential support—can be reached by calling or texting 988, or through chat at 988lifeline.org.
