NC Stop Torture Now Statement on Gaza and the Israeli/Palestinian Conflict

This is or will be posted at: ncstn.org/ [It was August 11th]

NCSTN Statement on Gaza and the Israeli/Palestinian Conflict

August, 2024

North Carolina Stop Torture Now (NCSTN) is a grassroots organization formed in 2005 to address the substantial, essential role of NC airports in the Bush-era rendition, detention, and interrogation (i.e., torture) program. Two NC airports launched CIA flights that kidnapped and rendered at least 49 individuals to CIA black sites or to US-allied countries, where they were tortured, between 2002 and 2005. For more information: https://www.nctorturereport.org/

NCSTN unequivocally condemns the horrific attack by Hamas militants against Israeli civilians on October 7, 2023. Such barbaric violence is indefensible under any circumstances. It occurs in the context of Israel’s decades-long illegal occupation and blockade of Gaza and the West Bank, and its favoring of Hamas in Gaza in order to avoid having to negotiate the creation of a Palestinian state. As long as Israel, backed by the United States, refuses to end the occupation, neither Israelis nor Palestinians will be safe.

We also unequivocally condemn Israel’s retaliatory bombardment and total siege of the Gaza Strip, cutting off water, food, electricity, and medical supplies. It is a crime against humanity, and the United States’ greenlighting of Israel’s violence, particularly its continuing to send Israel weapons that are used to kill Gazan civilians, is indefensible. No life is expendable, yet the hugely disproportionate death tolls tell their own story.

NCSTN’s particular focus is on prevention of and accountability for torture that is supported by US policy. But there is evidence of torture on both sides of this conflict. For example, the UN has found credible evidence of rape and sexualized torture by Hamas during the October 7 attack, and such torture persists for Israeli hostages in Hamas’ captivity.

More specific to our responsibility as US citizens, the torture of Palestinians in Israeli prisons has been identified as particularly resembling the horrors endured by US captives in Guantanamo, CIA black sites, Abu Ghraib, and Bagram. Israel continues the sad and appalling practices pioneered in the US “war on terror.” Since our tax dollars are at work here, Congress should immediately investigate these abuses.

We call for accountability for torture perpetrated by both sides in the Israeli-Hamas conflict. Such accountability must come from a credible international tribunal. The international community must address the root causes of the violence, and seek pathways to a just peace based on freedom, security, and equal rights for Israelis and Palestinians. War and occupation are not the answer.

Resources:

Torture of Gazans in Israeli prison: https://www.972mag.com/sde-teiman-prisoners-lawyer-mahajneh/

Guantanamo victims say Israel using “US-style” torture: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/6/22/happening-again-guantanamo-victims-say-israel-using-us-style-torture