The CCR
@theCCR
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We fight against oppression. We stand with social justice activists and communities under threat. We use the power of the law to achieve justice for all.
New York, NY
Joined July 2008
BREAKING: Palestinians are suing @POTUS, @SecBlinken, & @SecDef to stop U.S. support for Israel’s unfolding genocide, asking a U.S. Court to enforce the most basic & important legal—and moral—obligation in the world – preventing genocide. Read more:
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Professor Katherine Franke will no longer teach at Columbia Law School, stemming from her defense of Palestinian students. In response to the end of her 25-year career as a highly-esteemed member of the Columbia University Law School faculty, we issued the following statement:.
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In the historic lawsuit brought by Palestinians against Biden, a U.S. federal court finds that Israel’s assault & siege on Gaza plausibly constitutes genocide and “implores” Biden admin to examine its unwavering support of Israel, determining it lacks power to resolve the case.
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NEW: There is a credible case, based on powerful evidence, that Israel is attempting to commit, if not actively committing, genocide against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip. We've released released an emergency briefing of Israel's unfolding crimes, below. 🧵
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BREAKING: The Palestinian Journalists' Syndicate has just released a statement warning that western media coverage of Israel's assault on Gaza "is facilitating genocide." .
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BREAKING:. Today, in a landmark verdict, a jury found Virginia-based government contractor CACI liable for its role in the torture of Iraqi men at Abu Ghraib prison in 2003-2004. They 've been ordered to pay millions in damages. Full press release here:
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BREAKING: Today, the United States Supreme Court ruled unanimously that American Muslims who were placed or kept on the No-Fly List in retaliation for refusing to spy on their communities may sue individual FBI agents for interfering with their freedom to practice their religion.
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(excerpt) In an egregious attack on both academic freedom and Palestinian rights advocacy, Columbia University has entered into an “agreement” with @ProfKFranke to leave her teaching position.
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Her ostensible offense was a comment expressing concern about Columbia’s failure to address harassment of Palestinians by Israeli students who come to campus straight from military service – after Israeli students sprayed Palestinian rights protestors with a toxic chemical.
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The move – “a termination dressed up in more palatable terms,” according to Franke’s statement – stems from her advocacy for students who speak out in support of Palestinian rights.
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The historic lawsuit seeks to enforce int'l law as codified in the Genocide Convention and federal law that imposes on @POTUS, @SecBlinken, & @SecDef a duty to prevent an unfolding genocide. Not only has the U.S. failed to prevent, but has actively advanced the gravest of crimes.
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The goal of the crackdown on Palestinian rights advocacy is to silence criticism of Israel’s barbaric assault, which has killed at least 46,000 Palestinians. This is where our attention should be, and where Franke will now be able to refocus her efforts.
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The actual cause of her forced departure is the crackdown on dissent at Columbia resulting from historic protests opposing Israel’s genocide of Palestinians in Gaza.
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Genocide legal expert, Prof. William Schabas agrees that the U.S. has breached its duty to use its influence on Israel to prevent a genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza.
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🚨Before @netanyahu lands in DC, we demand @TheJusticeDept investigate him for genocide, war crimes & torture in Gaza. Nearly 40k killed, including more than 14k children, 90k injured, 2 million displaced, & an entire population subject to starvation. This cannot go unanswered.
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UPDATE: The U.S. gov’t responded late yesterday in the genocide case brought by Palestinian organizations and individual, with @POTUS, @SecBlinken, and @SecDef attempting to evade legal responsibility for their failure to prevent—and complicity in—the genocide in Gaza.
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BREAKING: At the UN #BindingTreaty negotiations in Geneva, our representative was repeatedly interrupted by the Chair for calling for the U.S. to end its complicity with Israel’s genocide of Palestinians in Gaza, and support keeping International Humanitarian Law in the treaty 🧵
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As early as October 7th, @POTUS, @SecBlinken, & @SecDef have been on notice of Israel’s genocidal intent, and they have failed in their legal duty to prevent Israel’s unfolding genocide.
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Our client, Columbia University law professor Katherine Franke (@ProfKFranke), appeared on @democracynow today alongside co-counsel Kathleen Peratis to discuss the campaign against her, the ongoing crackdown on pro-Palestine activism at Columbia and more.
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This post appears intended to chill lawful, constitutionally protected protest. Accusing supporters of Palestinian human rights of support for terrorism is dangerous, tired, and ignores 75 years of Israeli colonization and war crimes.
Throughout the day, I’ve been monitoring the protest that started in Times Square and that moved through our streets to outside the Israeli Consulate General’s Office in New York.
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Instead, @POTUS, @SecBlinken, & @SecDef have publicly and repeatedly offered statements of unconditional support of Israel’s actions while pledging and providing additional military financial assistance and equipment to Israel.
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“[Biden, Blinken, and Austin] have absolutely and completely failed in their duty under international and U.S. law to take all measures possible to prevent the unfolding genocide against the Palestinian population in Gaza.” - Senior Staff Attorney Katie Gallagher.
On behalf of Palestinian human rights groups and civilians, @theCCR is suing President Biden for his administration's "absolute" failure to prevent genocide in Gaza. Member of the legal team attorney Katherine Gallagher lays out the case.
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AUDIO: At Al-Quds Hospital in Gaza, a doctor describes how staff is refusing to abandon their patients despite Israel’s demands for evacuation. Around them, bombings have continued. “There is a state of terror among patients and displaced people inside the hospital.”
UPDATE: “I’m actually quite horrified and scared. I just got the message from my colleague Dr. Nafas in Mustashfa Al Quds and he sent this in two lines: “We have made a decision. We will not leave our patients behind,” meaning they are not evacuating.“ @DrGilbert
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Good morning, we are ready to discuss that "looting" everyone was talking about.
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The decision reads: “[As] the ICJ has found, it is plausible that Israel’s conduct amounts to genocide. This Court implores Defendants to examine the results of their unflagging support of the military siege against the Palestinians in Gaza.”.
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The courtroom is buzzing as hearing in our case DCIP v. Biden comes to a close. Witnesses shared their testimony before the court. Here are some snippets from their testimonies:.
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The court found “the uncontroverted testimony” of plaintiffs, expert opinion of genocide & Holocaust scholars, & statements by Israeli officials “indicate that the ongoing military siege in Gaza is intended to eradicate a whole people” & plausibly constitutes genocide.
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LIVESTREAM: 1/26 "We Charge Genocide: Int'l Day of Action", stream Palestinian organizers & allies ahead of the historic lawsuit against Biden for complicity in genocide in Gaza. Then join us LIVE in the court for testimony from our Palestinian plaintiffs.
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The Court’s decision also stated, “It is every individual’s obligation to confront the current siege in Gaza.”.
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Horrific footage of heavy bombing in the Tal Al-Hawa area around Al-Quds Hospital from partners on the ground. Yesterday Israel demanded the hospital evacuate, threatening the lives of hundreds who require medical care. Doctors refused to leave to care for patients
Israel is threatening to bomb Al-Quds Hospital, demanding the evacuation of 400 patients & 1000s of displaced people. US gov’t is on notice of complicity w/Israel’s unfolding genocide against Palestinians & must act now. @RepMcCaul @RepGregoryMeeks @SenatorCardin @SenatorRisch.
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In our letter to congressmembers, we, along with @pal_legal and @NLGnews put members of Congress on notice for complicity in genocide. The letter names potential legal liability for aiding, abetting, inciting, or conspiring to commit genocide, demanding that they act.
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Israel’s designation of leading Palestinian human rights organizations as terrorist is a continuation of a long-standing project by the Israeli government and its supporters to isolate Palestinian civil society advocates and criminalize the promotion of Palestinian rights.
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“We urge the Biden administration to heed the judge’s call to examine and end its deadly course of action. Together with our plaintiffs, we will pursue all legal avenues to stop the genocide and save Palestinian lives.” – Katie Gallagher.
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“Please take notice that should you vote in favor of [the emergency military assistance package to Israel], you risk facing criminal and civil liability for aiding and abetting genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity under international law, and may face investigation…
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Court recognized that the prohibitions on genocide are binding international law & this was a “rare” instance where “the preferred outcome is inaccessible to the Court,” but found it lacked power to resolve the case as it implicated executive decisions on foreign policy.
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WE'RE APPEALING. We notified the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals that we are appealing the dismissal in @DCIPalestine v. Biden. On Jan 31, the court found a plausible case of genocide and “implored” @POTUS to examine its “unflagging support” for Israel’s military assault on Gaza.
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🚨Today, Palestinians took Biden to court. The case, @DCIPalestine v @POTUS, charges President Biden, @SecBlinken, and @SecDef with failing in their legal responsibility to prevent – & their complicity in – Israel’s genocide of Palestinians in Gaza.
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Plaintiff Waeil Elbhassi’s family was displaced by the Nakba. “I testified to make a record of Israel’s horrific slaughter of my family, and the destruction of my homeland … and to demand that the United States stop giving [Israel] its total … support for this ongoing genocide”.
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UPDATE: “I’m actually quite horrified and scared. I just got the message from my colleague Dr. Nafas in Mustashfa Al Quds and he sent this in two lines: “We have made a decision. We will not leave our patients behind,” meaning they are not evacuating.“ @DrGilbert
We received this message from @DrGilbert urging the int'l community to mobilize politicians to prevent the bombing of Al-Quds Hospital in Gaza. @POTUS @RepMcCaul @RepGregoryMeeks @SenatorCardin @SenatorRisch, this is your obligation under the Geneva & Genocide Conventions.
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Speaking on genocide in Palestine to the UN Human Rights Committee: “The US must cease its support of a regime that is committing genocide of the Palestinian people. If we don’t act now, then the words “Never again”, will be just that, words.” — @A7madAbuznaid
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@netanyahu @TheJusticeDept In advance of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to Washington next week, we urge the Department of Justice to open a federal criminal investigation into him for his responsibility for genocide, war crimes, and torture.
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"Today we mourn. Tomorrow we carry on his work" CCR on the sad passing of Michael Ratner:
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@netanyahu @TheJusticeDept In a 23-page letter to the DOJ’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section, we detail “overwhelming evidence” that, under Netanyahu, Israeli forces have committed these crimes against Palestinians during the nearly 10-month assault on Gaza.
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Excellent coverage of global support for our lawsuit against Biden, Blinken and Austin on US complicity in and failure to prevent genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. This week, we are watching The Hague. Next week, we turn our sights back to our challenge in US court.
NEW: 77 groups — representing tens of thousands of lawyers, civil society leaders, and activists from six continents — have filed a brief in support of a lawsuit charging the Biden administration with being complicit in genocide.
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On the heels of President Biden's visit to Israel and as the death toll in Gaza passes 3,300, we released an emergency briefing of Israel's crime of genocide against the Palestinian people and U.S. complicity in this grave international law violation. READ
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@netanyahu @TheJusticeDept These are the most serious human rights violations in the U.S. criminal code, and the DOJ’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section is statutorily mandated—and urgently needed—to investigate them to protect Palestinians from ongoing crimes and break the cycle of impunity.
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@netanyahu @TheJusticeDept We also urge the convening of an inter-agency effort to identify the number of U.S. citizens that have actively served in the Israeli armed forces since Oct 7 (including active-duty U.S. citizens) and the impact of torture, war crimes, and other atrocities in Gaza since Oct 7.
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US rights group sues Biden for alleged ‘failure to prevent genocide’ in Gaza. “The complaint … alleges that Israel’s actions, including “mass killings”, the targeting of civilian infrastructure and forced expulsions, amount to genocide.”.
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@netanyahu @TheJusticeDept We call for the establishment of a War Crimes Accountability Team – Gaza, similar to the one constituted to investigate and support accountability efforts for violations in Ukraine.
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@netanyahu @TheJusticeDept Netanyahu’s visit comes in the wake of one of the deadliest weeks for Palestinians in Gaza in recent months and amid widespread calls by grassroots groups to arrest him during his upcoming visit rather than give him a platform.
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@netanyahu @TheJusticeDept The Israeli military has targeted and destroyed apartment buildings, hospitals, houses of worship, ambulance convoys, schools, shelters, and refugee camps, and forcibly displaced 1.9 million Palestinians, which is 90 percent of the total population.
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The United States has a duty under Article 1 of the 1948 Genocide Convention to prevent acts of genocide, an obligation that has been domestically implemented through U.S. criminal law.
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@netanyahu @TheJusticeDept There is also ample evidence that Israel has used starvation as a weapon, plunging Gaza into a famine that has killed many children and will likely result in thousands more dead.
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BREAKING: We've authored an emergency briefing paper featuring legal and factual analysis of Israel’s unfolding crime of genocide against the Palestinian people and U.S. complicity in this grave international law violation.
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Our paper describes how through its ongoing unconditional military, diplomatic, and political support to Israel, the United States is not only failing to prevent genocide, but is complicit.
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⚖️ Today before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, Palestinians argued that the courts have a constitutional obligation to hear their claims that @POTUS admin failed their legal duty to prevent — and are complicit in — Israel’s genocide in Gaza. @DCIPalestine @alhaq_org
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Under international law, the United States - and responsible U.S. citizens, including and up to the President - can be held accountable for their role in furthering genocide.
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🚨 Fatima Mohammed, a Yemeni-American student, is being unfairly attacked for her graduation speech at CUNY Law School. 🧵.
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That Mayor Bill de Blasio responded to this weekend’s shocking displays of racist police violence with anything less than horror and immediate action to hold the NYPD accountable indicates a complete abdication of responsibility towards the people of New York City.
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Since Oct 7, there has been a massive uptick in attempts to quell advocacy for Palestine in the US, including demands to deploy terrorism laws against student activists, a dangerous attack on constitutionally protected speech and association. Here’s what you need to know 🧵
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🚨 UPDATE 🚨 The recording of the hearing in our historic case Defense for Children International-Palestine v. Biden is now available via the Court's website. The Friday Jan 26 hearing featured testimony from Palestinians & genocide expert.
UPDATE: The court’s livestream is currently at its 1000 user capacity. Don’t worry—A recording of the hearing will be made available by the court in due course.
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The emergency briefing paper will be submitted to national and international stakeholders, including the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the UN Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect, and the Office of the Prosecutor of the ICC.
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It will also be sent to President Biden, Secretary.Blinken, and other U.S. officials and relevant agencies. Read the emergency legal briefing paper here:
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"I have lost everything in this world. I have nothing left but my grief." — Dr. Omar Al-Najjar. Here are his words from the courtroom in Friday's hearing. The recording of the hearing is now live on via the court's website. Watch at
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We are in the Hague today, watching the historic and urgent case brought by South Africa against Israel, seeking provisional measures to stop Israel's unfolding genocide. We'll share some reactions here shortly after South Africa's presentation, which is starting now.
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Senior Staff attorney Pam Spees: When we filed this case the Palestinian death toll was 11K. Now, as the court acknowledged today, it’s over 25K. The unfolding genocide has broken the scales that the law has asked this court to balance.
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The paper comes soon after the U.S veto of a UN Security Council resolution condemning both Hamas's attack on Israel and all violence against civilians and calling for humanitarian access to Gaza and as Biden seeks to secure additional, unconditional military support for Israel.
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Barry Trachtenberg testifying. Expert witnesss in holocaust studies and genocide—“Genocides destroy their own evidence” archives as we’ve heard in testimony, historical artifacts and “people themselves.”.
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In our case DCIP v. Biden, constitutional and international law scholars, ex-diplomats, service members, intelligence officers, and human rights organizations, — including 139 NGOs from around the world — are backing Palestinians’ appeal of the January 31 decision to dismiss.
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The court has the authority to force them to do so. If powerful countries are not held to their human rights obligations to prevent genocide, the law is meaningless. More:
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We joined 121 human rights & civil society groups in calling on President Biden to support ICC independence, accountability & oppose sanctions on the Court in retaliation for seeking arrest warrants for Netanyahu's crimes in Gaza. Read here:
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We received this message from @DrGilbert urging the int'l community to mobilize politicians to prevent the bombing of Al-Quds Hospital in Gaza. @POTUS @RepMcCaul @RepGregoryMeeks @SenatorCardin @SenatorRisch, this is your obligation under the Geneva & Genocide Conventions.
❌ 12,000 displaced people, including 70% children and women, are in imminent danger after Israeli forces threatened to bomb Al-Quds Hospital and demanded evacuation. This place could turn to ashes if those threats are carried out. #GazaUnderAttack #NotATarget
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For 20 years, the prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, a monstrous creation of the U.S. government, has been intentionally inflicting human suffering.
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Statements of intent that are striking: . Israeli President: “All Gazans are responsible”.Defense minister: “No food, water or electricity.”.Energy minister: “no water, not a single battery will be given…”.
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Today @pal_legal and the University of Florida chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) filed a historic lawsuit against the University of Florida system for violating their First Amendment rights by deactivating their student group. Thread below for more info.
🚨 BREAKING: Our client, the University of Florida chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine, is suing DeSantis & FL university leaders for violating their 1st Amendment rights by deactivating the group.
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We continue to pursue this case with urgency on behalf of our clients, who, along with millions of others, are enduring the devastating effects of Israel’s rampage. U.S. government leaders have the power and therefore the legal responsibility to stop the genocide.
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This week, together with over 290 organizations from around the world, we sent a letter to President Biden demanding immediate action in response to the Israeli government’s latest authoritarian assault on Palestinian civil society #StandWithThe6
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“It seems unique in history. Statements of intent are not usually declared so openly- but here the statements are made so openly.”.
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What compels the conclusion of genocide is the correspondence between the Israeli “action on the ground and the statements of intent”.
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Israel is threatening to bomb Al-Quds Hospital, demanding the evacuation of 400 patients & 1000s of displaced people. US gov’t is on notice of complicity w/Israel’s unfolding genocide against Palestinians & must act now. @RepMcCaul @RepGregoryMeeks @SenatorCardin @SenatorRisch.
❌ 12,000 displaced people, including 70% children and women, are in imminent danger after Israeli forces threatened to bomb Al-Quds Hospital and demanded evacuation. This place could turn to ashes if those threats are carried out. #GazaUnderAttack #NotATarget
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The use of sea water to flood the tunnels under Gaza, which can destroy the aquifer, is “in effect salting the earth” which will prevent the ability for Gazans to grow food in the future.
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PALESTINIANS SUE BIDEN FOR FAILING TO PREVENT GENOCIDE IN GAZA. The federal lawsuit accuses President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin of complicity in genocide.
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The Center for Constitutional Rights is now representing former Board Chair and Columbia Law Professor Katherine Franke, alongside cooperating counsel Kathleen Peratis, longtime civil rights and employment rights lawyer.
At Columbia University, law professor @ProfKFranke has been threatened with termination after being targeted by Republican lawmakers. "There's an overreaction by the university, a weaponization of the disciplinary system. that in my over 40 years at Columbia I have never seen."
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BREAKING: If Mayor Bill de Blasio extends NYC’s curfew, along with @NYCLU, @LegalAidNYC & @HU_TMCRC, we are ready to sue.
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Today’s physical assault by Israeli occupying forces on the offices and property of prominent Palestinian civil society organizations must be urgently condemned by @POTUS in the strongest terms, with concrete actions in response to the criminalization of human rights defenders.
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Now in Foley Sq, over 1,000 ppl rallying 2 end ICE raids & protect immigrants. #HeretoStay #NoBanNoWall #Not1More #Ni1Mas #RESIST #DeportICE
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We won 🎉!. Today, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a lower court decision that held unlawful the government’s systematic turnbacks – or “metering” – of people seeking asylum at ports of entry along the U.S.-Mexico border. Press release here:
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We are dismayed that Airbnb has caved to the legal bullying of Israeli settlers and re-listed properties in illegal settlements in occupied Palestinian territory. Airbnb’s decision reflects an alarming lack of commitment to human rights. #StolenLand
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