TACL has been watching the escalation of conflict in the Middle East with great concern. As an organization that represents many Taiwanese and Taiwanese Americans, we are not unfamiliar with the complexities inherent in a long-standing regional conflict. Nevertheless, our work is always in support of furthering democracy and standing up against hate in the United States, Taiwan and the world.
While the actions that ignited the current situation are heinous, we hold strongly to the belief that these types of conflicts should ultimately be resolved through diplomatic and peaceful means. We call for an immediate ceasefire in the region in line with the sentiments from the Carter Center, Jewish Voice for Peace, editorial board of Financial Times, and Amnesty International along with renewed focus on the negotiation for the return of the hostages that were taken on October 7th, 2023.
In addition, we call for renewed international commitments to delivering humanitarian aid and support for those affected by this conflict. If you would like to provide donations and support, here are a few links to consider:
Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund
Lastly, TACL reiterates our commitment to standing up against racism, oppression, and violence. We must remain vigilant against hate, no matter the form it comes in, and categorically denounce all anti-Semitic, anti-Muslim, and anti-Arab sentiments and actions. We know that peace may not come easily, but we also believe that we should never relinquish our hope for it.
One response to “A Call for Ceasefire to the Israeli-Hamas Conflict”
I’m disappointed in TACL’s approach to this. What is happening right now is clearly a genocide of the Palestinian people by Israel. Israel has committed all sorts of war crimes and has not been held accountable for any of it. We should realize, as Taiwanese-Americans, that our own homeland would suffer a similar fate of imperialism and colonialism had Taiwan not grown into a country of such economical significance. “These types of conflicts” are ethnic cleansing and will not be resolved by a simple ceasefire. The oppression of Palestinians by a state that has existed for under 80 years is not something that will just stop with a call to ceasefire. While harm is being done to both Palestinians and Israelis, the magnitude at which Palestinians are suffering is far greater. They are losing their entire bloodlines, their homes, their water, their food, their futures. They are losing their land and their identity as Palestinian people is increasingly under attack by Israel. This is a genocide and it is not anti-Semitic to stand with Palestine. As Taiwanese-Americans, we need to recognize the influence of western ideology and imperialism in our approach to the historic events that many have reduced down to mere ‘conflicts’. We should not gloss over the faults of the country we now call home. We should not assimilate into the American war machine – we can and must do better.