International Court of Justice to Israel:

Genocide Case Must Go Forward, Preserve All Records

DESCRIPTION: The International Court of Justice (ICJ), the principal judicial organ of the United Nations, holds public hearings on the request for the indication of provisional measures submitted by South Africa in the case concerning Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in the Gaza Strip (South Africa v. Israel) on 11 and 12 January 2024, at the Peace Palace in The Hague, the seat of the Court. Session held under the presidency of Judge Joan E. Donoghue, President of the Court.

THE RULING: The International Court of Justice has ruled that Israel must cease its warmaking in Gaza—cease committing and inciting genocidal acts—and that the case charging Israel with genocide must proceed.

More details in David Swanson’s report: READ IT HERE.

VFP Condemns U.S. Bombing of Yemen

The first official VFP Statement of 2024, released January 15.
We also shared this amazing Yemen protest video on Facebook.
Headline news on Democracy Now! (Jan. 25): U.S. Mercenaries Share Details of Taking Part in UAE’s Targeted Killing Campaign in Yemen – A new report from the BBC.

FREE JULIAN ASSANGE

Julian’s case is moving again! Worldwide, global support actions are planned. Stay tuned for times and places.

Assange, like Daniel Ellsberg, is “guilty” of telling the public what their government is doing – like releasing this gunsight video narrated by VFP member Ethan McCord, who witnessed that butchery of civilian adults and children. Butchery continues in Gaza, Yemen and elsewhere; THAT IS WAR! And that is why we are Veterans For Peace! 

A two-day public hearing was announced for February 20 and 21 at the UK High Court to determine whether Julian Assange will have permission to appeal, or whether he will be extradited to the United States.

TAKE ACTION: Tell Congress to pass HR 934, to drop all charges against Julian Assange and cease attempts to have him extradited.
VFP DEMANDS CEASEFIRE IN GAZA
Actions Shared by Our Members
San Diego protest
San Diego protest closeup
January 6, 2024 – San Diego, California
Gary Butterfield, VFP Chapter 91, reported “Seventy people, including a dozen San Diego VFP members, marched, chanted and protested in support of Palestine and a ceasefire. The corner of Sunset Cliffs and West Point Loma Blvd., the “Gateway to Ocean Beach” came alive.
Toledo news screenshot 1
Mike Ferner in Toledo news screenshot
January 8, 2024 – Toledo, Ohio
Jews, Muslims and Christians joined together for an interfaith protest for Palestine that drew 200 people. VFP National Director Mike Ferner was there and provided a statement to the local ABC News crew that covered the event. NEWS CLIP HERE.

 

BTW, in case you missed it, Mike Ferner delivered this statement at a Gaza Ceasefire Rally in Columbus, Ohio, on December 22, 2023.
Click screenshot to watch the video
January 9, 2024 – Empire State Plaza, Albany New York
Veterans For Peace members from several New York chapters joined with the Albany Palestinian Rights committee and others for a protest at the Empire State Plaza. A short video of the protest has been posted on the VFP YouTube channel and includes a call to action.
Fairbanks says End the Occupation
January 13, 2024 – Fairbanks, Alaska
Rob Mulford, a member of VFP Chapter 146 in Fairbanks, Alaska, spoke at the Fairbanks 4 Palestine March and Rally pictured above, sponsored by Fairbanks Native Movement. Click here to read Rob’s remarks.
Jack Gilroy Binghamton MLK Day
January 15, 2024 – Binghamton, New York
Jack Gilroy and other members of VFP Chapter 90 made the news with their Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday action. Click here to see the TV report and newsclip.
Stop the Genocide protest at Twin Cities PBS
Sesame Street characters join protest
January 25, 2024 – Twin Cities, Minnesota
Denied an in-person meeting after many weeks of back-and-forth communications with representatives of TPT in the Twin Cities, VFP Chapter 27 members staged a solemn protest against genocide in front of the PBS television affiliate to let them know PBS NewsHour coverage of foreign affairs is neither “honest, balanced, nor trusted.” Dave Logsdon (above right), commented: “The adults wouldn’t discuss PBS’s lack of genocide coverage, but we got to hang out with fellow protesters Big Bird, Bert and Ernie, Elmo, et al.”
VFP New York City Chapter 34 member Tarak Kauff traveled to The Hague at the time of the hearings, and returned with an inspiring personal story about the magic he experienced and the community he encountered on the journey. READ IT HERE.
Advisory Board Member Updates

At an RFK Jr. rally in Raleigh, North Carolina, on Friday, January 14, VFP Advisor Ray McGovern took advantage of a lull in the applause to shout: “Bobby, 10,000 Palestinian children killed. You are silent. I worked for your uncle. You are no JFK!” He wrote about his short “intervention” and encouraged others to follow suit on his website, HERE.

In an analysis of the ICJ Genocide Hearing published on Truthout (January 16, 2024) entitled “Israel Tells ICJ It Has the ‘Most Moral Army in the World’ at Genocide Hearing,” VFP Advisor Marjorie Cohn makes the case that “South Africa presented a powerful and compelling case that Israel is violating the Genocide Convention.”

VFP Advisor Matt Hoh is a regular guest on Judge Napolitano’s show, which can be seen on YouTube or listened to on podcasts. (Napolitano also has a large presence on TikTok.) In THIS SHOW, streamed January 16, 2024, Matt provides analysis on U.S. and Israeli political and military decision-making and examines how corporate media assists in serving the interest of the U.S. and Israeli governments. Matt also blogs regularly on Substack.

VFP Advisor John Dear’s 2023 book, The Gospel of Peace: A Commentary on Matthew, Mark, and Luke from the Perspective of Nonviolence, is now available at Orbis Books. Reviewer Art Laffin, writing for the National Catholic Reporter (January 19, 2024), calls the book a “landmark original commentary” in which “Dear reveals that nonviolence is at the heart of Jesus’ teaching and action, and a primary requirement of Christian discipleship.”
Consider these stories underscoring the truth that there are no winners in war:
  • On January 11, 2024, the New Israel Fund (NIF) shared the letter published by a new coalition calling itself the “pro-human” camp, led by Amnesty International Israel, declaring their commitment to fighting the dehumanization of Gazans, Palestinians, and Muslims as well as of Israelis and Jews. Story and letter HERE.
  • In an article published December 9, 2023, the Middle East Eye reported on another aspect of the Israel-Palestine conflict that is universal in war: “Thousands of Israeli soldiers wounded and ‘disabled’ in Gaza fighting
Then take a breather and meditate on the truth that peace is possible:
  • The short documentary, Cloud Never Dies , tells the story of Thich Nhat Hanh, a humble young Vietnamese monk and poet whose wisdom and compassion were forged in the suffering of war. In the face of violence, fear, and discrimination, Thich Nhat Hanh’s courageous path of engaged action reveals how insight, community, and a deep aspiration to serve the world can offer hope, peace, and a way forward for millions. (The film’s release on April 2, 2022 coincided with the release by his students of an Open Lettercalling for peace and an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine.)
RECOMMENDED VIEWING
Recommended by VFP National Director Mike Ferner: To understand what’s going on in Palestine today, it’s well worth the time to sit down and watch 1948: Creation and Catastrophe, a documentary about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict [runtime 1:25:13]. Indy filmmakers, no doubt on a shoestring, have done a remarkable job.
Coming soon! Truth Tellers, Robert Shetterly’s Journey to paint portraits of activists fighting for justice, will begin broadcasting nationwide on public television February 1, 2024. To find out when it will be broadcast in your area, check your local PBS affiliate.
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FEATURED EVENTS
THURSDAY, APRIL 4 | ORGANIZING OPPORTUNITY
Martin Luther King Jr. – April 4th Commemoration

 

Mark the anniversary of King’s assassination by organizing a public reading of his most powerful speech, “Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence,” delivered at Riverside Church in New York City one year to the day before he was killed. CLICK HERE for more information and ideas for organizing this and other actions this spring. [Illustration by VFP member Dan Shea]
PeaceWalk 2024 graphic
COMMENCING SATURDAY, APRIL 27
WALKING from AUGUSTA, MAINE to WASHINGTON, D.C.
VFP Peace Walk 2024

 

Peace Walk 2024 is a National Project of Veterans For Peace. Visit the website to learn more: PeaceWalk2024.org.
MORE EVENTS
TODAY! PAX CHRISTI ONLINE FORUM
SATURDAY, JANUARY 27 • 11am-1pm PST | 12-1pm MST | 1-2pm PM CST | 2-4pm
Building a World Without Nuclear Weapons: An Urgent Imperative

 

Sponsored by Pax Christi, the focus of this free online forum is the increasing threat of nuclear war and what ordinary citizens can do to prevent it. Featured speakers: John C. Wester, Archbishop of Santa Fe, New Mexico, who in 2022 led the way in the U.S. Catholic Church with his groundbreaking pastoral letter on nuclear disarmament; Dr. Ira Helfand, co-founder and past president of the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War; and Marie Dennis, Catholic Nonviolence Initiative/Pax Christi International. Full list of cosponsors (including VFP), and registration link are on the Pax Christi Massachusetts event page.
SUNDAY, JANUARY 28 • 2pm | OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA
Ribbon-cutting Ceremony for New World BEYOND War Billboard

 

Colorful ribbon-cutting ceremony at in front of the First Congregational Church of Oakland at 2501 Harrison St., Oakland, CA 94612, just across an intersection from one of six billboards now up in Oakland and Berkeley with the message: “3% of U.S. Military Spending Count End Starvation on Earth.” Ribbon-cutting will be followed by a benefit for Food Not Bombs. Here is an EVENT LINK for people in the Bay Area.
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 19 • 5pm PST | 6pm MST | 7pm CST | 8pm EST
WAR INDUSTRY RESISTERS NETWORK WEBINAR
Dissenters: Students Say No to the Military-Industrial Complex

 

Dissenters is a coalition of college students on 25 different campuses around the country  actively engaged in “turning the tide against endless war” – an intersectional movement that connects the dots from racism to militarism to poverty and organizes against political and corporate elites in order to create a safer, more just, more livable world. This webinar will describe the approach of Dissenters across the country as well as the specific student efforts at UMass Amherst. Register HERE.
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 29 • 4pm PST | 5pm MST | 6pm CST | 7pm EST
VFP NO NUKES! WEBINAR
Why “Deterrence” Leads to Nuclear War

 

This webinar is sponsored by the VFP Nuclear Abolition Working Group. Featured speakers are Timmon Wallace, Nuclear Ban US and Warheads to Windmills; and Dr. Ivana Hughes, President, Nuclear Age Peace Foundation. Registration details coming soon.
SATURDAY, MARCH 2 | GATHER AT 10 AM, ASSEMBLY AT 11 AM
Mass Poor People’s and Low-Wage Workers’
Moral March to Statehouse Assemblies

 

Save the date for a day of nationally coordinated, simultaneous direct action in 31 state capitals! The assembly is part of 40 weeks of massive voter mobilization across the U.S., led by the Poor People’s Campaign. Find more information at poorpeoplescampaign.org.
MARCH 23–29 (HOLY WEEK)
Sacred Peace Walk 2024

 

In this season of wars, a worldwide refugee crisis and the climate thrown into chaos, when the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists moves up its doomsday clock to 90-seconds before midnight, the Nevada Desert Experience invites you to join us in an event of hope and resistance in the desert. CLICK HERE for the details. Anyone with questions about the walk is welcome to contact Dave Patterson, who has participated in the walk for years, at dpatterson998@yahoo.com.
FRIDAY–SUNDAY, APRIL 5–7 | ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA
UNITED NATIONAL ANTIWAR COALITION CONFERENCE
Decolonization and the Fight against Imperialism

 

A conference for the entire movement. Save the date and stay tuned to the UNAC website for information.

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