Broad Coalition Launches CeasefireAction.com to Build Pressure on Congress Ahead of Israel's Planned Attack on Rafah

Today, Demand Progress, Oxfam America, the Friends Committee on National Legislation, Win Without War, Common Defense, Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, and 23 partner organizations launched CeasefireAction.com, a grassroots action tool to apply urgent pressure on members of Congress to call for an immediate, permanent ceasefire. We see this as particularly timely given Israel is reportedly planning to launch a ground offensive in Rafah on March 10th, the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. More than 1.4 million people are currently sheltering in Rafah, the last safe zone in Gaza.

The website features a searchable database of the most recent statements from each member of Congress regarding calls for a ceasefire and a grassroots action tool for activists to contact their members of Congress and encourage them to publicly support a ceasefire.

A growing number of members of Congress are issuing statements in advance of the Rafah offensive. On the website, members’ statements are given one of the following designations: a green check mark indicates full support, a yellow wave line indicates partial support or statements that mention a ceasefire or pause but need significant improvement, and a black “x” indicates a lack of or insufficient support for a ceasefire or cessation of hostilities. Additional information regarding the criteria for each designation can be found here. The groups will continue to update the database as members of Congress issue new or revised statements.

The full list of participating organizations includes Action Corps, American Friends Service Committee, Antiwar.com, Center for Civilians in Conflict, Center on Conscience and War, Charity & Security Network, CommonDefense.us, Community Peacemaker Teams, Democracy for the Arab World Now, Demand Progress, Friends Committee on National Legislation, Global Ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and United Church of Christ, Just Foreign Policy, The Libertarian Institute, Middle East Democracy Center, MPower Change Action Fund, Muslims for Just Futures, National Iranian American Council Action, Nonviolence International, Oxfam America, Peace Action, Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, RootsAction.org, Unitarian Universalist Association, United Musicians and Allied Workers, Win Without War, Women for Weapons Trade Transparency, and Yemen Relief and Reconstruction Foundation.

Upon public release of the website, the participating groups issued the following statements:

Hajar Hammado, Policy Advisor, Demand Progress: “With the impending Israeli attack on Rafah, it is more urgent than ever that Congress and the administration support an immediate, permanent ceasefire. Five months into this conflict, the United States continues its military and diplomatic support for Israel while air dropping aid packages – a band-aid solution that doesn’t address the root cause of why over half a million people in Gaza are facing starvation. An escalation is not the answer. We need an end to the violence, a release of hostages, and the free flow of humanitarian aid to alleviate the immense scale of suffering. This new tool, CeasefireAction.com, empowers constituents to hold their members of Congress accountable for their stances in this critical moment. A temporary, six-week ceasefire is not enough – we need an immediate, permanent ceasefire now.”

Scott Paul, Associate Director, Peace and Security, Oxfam America: “No amount of humanitarian aid is enough to help the people of Gaza while bombs are falling. A permanent ceasefire is the single most important humanitarian response that Gaza needs right now in order to prevent famine and protect civilian lives. The United States government can and must do more to save lives in Gaza now. They must insist on a ceasefire, the release of all hostages, and full humanitarian access.”

Seth Binder, Director of Advocacy, Middle East Democracy Center: "It is long past time for the United States to use its leverage and uphold U.S. law to end Israel's indiscriminate bombardment of Gaza and have this war come to an end. The humanitarian catastrophe that millions of Palestinians are suffering through and its seismic moral and strategic consequences should compel members of Congress to do everything in its power to secure a cessation of hostilities."

Naveed Shah, Political Director, Common Defense: “Common Defense’s veterans and members know all too well the horrors of war which is why we stand in solidarity with our partners and the international community to call for a ceasefire, the release of hostages, and for all parties to work towards a sustainable and just peace.”

Ryan Costello, Policy Director, National Iranian American Council Action: “More than 30,000 Palestinians have been killed in this brutal war, with many tens of thousands still at risk of bombardment, starvation and disease. President Biden has the leverage to stop this slaughter, and he must use it. There's not a moment to lose and all Members of Congress must join the American public and demand a ceasefire now.”

Hassan El-Tayyab, Legislative Director for Middle East Policy, Friends Committee on National Legislation: “The Israeli military is threatening to ramp up its military offensive in Rafah, the last safe zone in Gaza where more than 1.4 million displaced Palestinians are seeking refuge. The planned Israeli military assault on Rafah must not go forward and the disastrous violence in Gaza must end now to allow for the delivery of humanitarian aid. With the Rafah campaign looming, a growing number of members of Congress are sounding the alarm, demanding a ceasefire. But more action is needed. The American people must continue to urge Congress to publicly call for a ceasefire now to end the violence and secure the release of hostages.”

Sara Haghdoosti, Executive Director, Win Without War: “As the Israeli government threatens an all-out offensive on Rafah, still-silent members of Congress must join the push for an immediate ceasefire to prevent the U.S. government from enabling what could turn into a horrific act of ethnic cleansing, and to keep the Israeli government from endangering the remaining hostages. Months of endless bombardment and destruction have killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, done nothing to make Israelis safer, and spurred multiple regional crises. This violence has to end -- now.”

Sarah Leah Whitson, Executive Director, Democracy for the Arab World Now: “Every moment that passes without a ceasefire sentences another Palestinian child to death, whether from entirely avoidable starvation or by being bombed with American taxpayer-funded munitions. What is being done in our name and with our money and our weapons is a great stain on our nation but that doesn’t relieve any of our elected leaders of the moral imperative to force an immediate ceasefire.”

Erik Sperling, Executive Director, Just Foreign Policy: "Many of our organizations have been calling for a ceasefire from the earliest days of this conflict, as it was immediately clear that there was no military solution to this conflict. Since then, our worst fears have been realized, as Israel has since committed one of the most deadly and indiscriminate military campaigns against civilians in recent memory. While history will never forgive those who enabled these actions, ongoing U.S. complicity must end now. We are grateful to Demand Progress and all of the participating organizations for this important initiative to bring the most gruesome chapter in U.S.-Israel relations to a close."

Kevin Martin, President, Peace Action and Peace Action Education Fund: "The urgent need for a lasting ceasefire is underscored by the massacre of Gazans waiting for desperately needed food aid. The pro-peace, pro-ceasefire majority in this country needs to be heard, and heeded, by Congress and the Biden Administration."

Trita Parsi, Executive Vice President, Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft: “A ceasefire in Gaza is an absolute necessity, not only to end the slaughter of innocent civilians but also because continued killing there fuels four other points of tensions that can lead to the US getting dragged into a full-scale regional war in the Middle East: Israeli-Lebanese tensions, attacks on US troops by Iraqi and Syrian militias, tensions in the Red Sea and a potential clash between Iran and Israel. As a result, it is clearly in the US's national interest to see the fighting in Gaza end through a permanent ceasefire.”

Yasmine Taeb, Legislative and Political Director, MPower Change Action Fund: "A lasting and permanent ceasefire in Gaza is an absolute necessity and a bare minimum to end Israel's genocidal assault and put an end to the atrocities and war crimes committed against Palestinians. As the largest Muslim digital organization in the U.S., MPower members have generated more than 600,000 calls and letters to Congress in support of a ceasefire. Members of Congress need to listen to their constituents and President Biden needs to listen to his broader Democratic base and stop funding an illegal military campaign that has claimed the lives of more than 25,000 women and children alone in Gaza."

Jennifer Bing, Director of the Palestine Activism Program, American Friends Service Committee: “The Israeli military has forced almost the entire population of Gaza up against the border in Rafah and now there is nowhere left to flee. People in Gaza are dying from starvation, thirst, exposure, and the destruction and obstruction of access to health care. The U.S. and the international community must abide by the International Court of Justice order to prevent genocide and end this ongoing tragedy. Every member of Congress needs to listen to their constituents and support an immediate and permanent cease-fire and a full arms embargo on Israel until it ends its attacks on Palestinians.”

Annie Shiel, US Advocacy Director, Center for Civilians in Conflict: “The situation for civilians in Gaza is catastrophic and worsening every day. Civilians have no safe place to go and no access to humanitarian aid and basic services. The United States must urgently use its leverage to push for the protection of civilians and an immediate ceasefire. The Biden administration has failed abysmally to protect civilians in Gaza, and so members of Congress must step up to condition US support and demand a ceasefire.”

Dr. Peter Makari, Global Relations Minister for the Middle East and Europe, Global Ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and United Church of Christ: “The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and United Church of Christ support an immediate ceasefire as far too many lives have been lost and many others have been permanently altered. A cease fire is necessary to preserve life and health and to allow for much-needed humanitarian aid to enter Gaza. Beyond that, root causes and core issues must be addressed in order to realize a just and durable peace.”

Dave DeCamp, News Editor, Antiwar.com: “Antiwar.com calls for Congress to push for a permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and for an end to US military aid to Israel, which is fueling the slaughter of Palestinian civilians and emboldening Israel to press on. Netanyahu has made clear he would invade Rafah after any temporary truce, which is why a permanent ceasefire is necessary.”

Women for Weapons Trade Transparency: “Women for Weapons Trade Transparency stands with coalition partners in calling for a long overdue ceasefire in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Over 1,200 Israelis were killed by Hamas combatants on October 7th, and since then, Israel's indiscriminate bombing of the long blockaded Gaza strip has taken the lives of over 29,000 Palestinians. Israel must comply with the ruling of the International Court of Justice and take “immediate and effective measures” to protect Palestinians in the occupied Gaza Strip from the risk of genocide. Members of Congress must take every effort to stop the bloodshed and prevent further escalation in the region by calling for a permanent ceasefire.”

Darakshan Raja, Executive Director, Muslims for Just Futures: “Muslims for Just Futures demands that every member of congress immediately call for a permanent ceasefire. So far, more than 30,000 Palestinians have been brutally massacred and many more have been injured and displaced from their homes. Just recently, over 100 Palestinians were murdered and an additional 1000 were injured in North Gaza for trying to reach an aid truck with flour. We urgently call on all congress members to demand an end to US complicity in the genocide of Palestinians and to cut off US military funding to Israel without delay. We refuse to be complicit in the ongoing genocide of Palestinians."

Aisha Jumaan, President, Yemen Relief and Reconstruction Foundation: “We call for an immediate ceasefire to address the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. People need safety and lifesaving supplies, including food, medical supplies, and fuel. More bombs and threats of mass atrocities defy our humanity; time is running out.”

Keith Knight, Managing Editor, Libertarian Institute: "All we're asking of Congress and our military is to embrace the 'Thou shalt not murder' principle."

Mubarak Awad, President, Nonviolence International: "Can't we all get along? Why is the US government killing us (Palestinians) with one hand and sending food with the other? We need peace, justice and equality. It's not so complicated."

Isaac Evans-Frantz, Director, Action Corps: "Urgent action is needed to pressure our U.S. government to fully leverage its influence for the immediate enforcement of the International Court of Justice's binding order, including an immediate ceasefire and other measures to protect civilians."

Maria Santelli, Executive Director, Center on Conscience and War: "As people of conscience, we cannot look away from the tragedy of war. And having seen the devastation, we cannot stay silent: the path to a just and lasting peace can only begin with a ceasefire now."

Paul Carroll, Director, Charity & Security Network: “A ceasefire is the only way to adequately ensure that humanitarian aid can reach those that need it.”

Norman Solomon, National Director, RootsAction.org: “An immediate and permanent ceasefire is essential to end the mass murder that Israel has inflicted on Palestinian people for nearly five months, made possible by massive and continuous arms shipments from the U.S. government. Constituents should demand that all members of Congress go beyond any equivocation to insist that the United States put a stop to Israel's genocidal impunity instead of continuing to enable it.”