Nothing in Jerusalem that has, or ever could happen would ever justify antisemitism, nor make it morally acceptable. Jews are our brothers, sisters, and family under God's grace and in Humanity.

I hope you also remember that we Palestinians are human, too. Israel is hurting us.

Do not equate the actions of Israel or the bigotry of some Haredi political groups, or even "Zionism" with the Jewish People. To assume that the values of Judaism and the actions of Israel are inherently cooperative is to be wrong, and bigoted. Focus on the State, the Oppressor.

Do not equate the desire for freedom, the desire to be free from discrimination, and apartheid, and dispossession, with the actions of Islamist groups like Hamas or the Arab-supremacism of some ill-bigoted men and women. We are being subjugated, keep your eye on the ball. Please.

Whether it is Xinjiang and Syria, or Myanmar and Tibet, or Hong Kong and Colombia, or, Palestine, there is a universal longing for freedom. We seek freedom from fear or dispossession and the right to our own destinies. This is not incompatible with the freedom of Jews.

Our collective freedom is in fact entirely compatible and inherently linked to one another. The systematic and intentionally discriminatory policies of Israel toward Palestinians not only harm us but harms the sanctity of Jewish life. It erodes the moral state of society.

The same is true in the case of the long history of antisemitism within the Arab World. Expulsion, dispossession, and ethnocide have left the Jewish People scarred and in many ways understandably distrustful. It erodes the justice, and greatness of places like Iraq and Yemen.

These wrongs do not justify the wrongs now enacted against my People. They make it all the more imperative that we stop these injustices in every instance we can. To stop the cycle of dispossession, and state-sanctioned violence is to reconcile our Humanity. That is up to Israel.

To systemically reject a Palestinian Right of Return, therefore denying Palestinians all rights to seek ownership of their homes in Israel-proper, and then to turn around and demand Palestinian refugees be evicted from East Jerusalem neighborhoods for a Jewish return, is bigotry.

To insist that the Israeli Government be exempt from criticism, criticisms rooted in the State's clear violations of international law and its openly-stated policies of demographic and sociopolitical control over Palestinians, because of its Jewish nature, is bigotry.

Not only is it bigotry towards Palestinians, but it is also bigotry towards the Jewish people themselves. It elevates Israel to a position of exceptionalism, equating its status of statehood to that of a representative of all Judaism. In most cases, that is labeled antisemitic.

It would be prudent of both those involved, and those who observe, to understand two things.

First and foremost, Israel is the occupying power in this situation. Yes, the P.A. and Hamas play roles, but Israel occupies East Jerusalem. They can choose not to abuse us, very easily!

Secondly, perhaps more importantly, it is asinine and even incendiary, and bigoted, to conflate the actions of the State with the people it purports to represent. This is true for Israel and Jews, as well as the repressive Abbas Ministry and Hamas for Palestinians.

It is urgent that you call upon your representatives, Senators, and statesmen to apply pressure to the Occupying Power to radically change its policies toward my people. It is urgent that you stand in solidarity with us while remaining prudent in your attitude and remarks.

Call upon Israel to permanently renounce its intentions to evict Palestinian residents of their homes in Jerusalem, and demand that your Governments *at the bare minimum* condition aid Israel in ceasing its human rights violations.

Peace does not happen without pressure.

Peace does not occur without the open acknowledgment by countries like the United States, Canada, and the U.K. that Israel is not interested in a two-state solution, and that without punishment for crimes perpetuated by the Israeli State, they will not cease in that perpetuation.

There is a deep, mortal wound to the actions of dispossession and murder. To see our families tossed out of Sheikh Jarrah, and to see young boys shot in the midst of protests is a Hellish and harrowing experience. We are real people, we endure real pain. Acknowledge this, please.

I oftentimes hear progressives and socially liberal people exclaim with zealous conviction that "[we] are not free until everyone is free".

This, I hope, applies to the Palestinian people just the same as it does our Jewish brothers. Please, help us be free. May God bless you.

None of the things I have said above can adequately demonstrate the pain and anguish that Palestinians living in occupied East Jerusalem are going through. I am but a Diaspora child, and even then I feel dread and sorrow. Imagine the pain for the family of Said Odeh, now dead?

The Occupation, and the bloodshed which rises out from it, harm all those whose lives are touched by it. We can end it, and we can do so with a cooperative and just spirit. It is only up to the willpower of those who hold power, and the U.S. can pressure Israel on that front.

Please keep your prayers and your attention, in some way, focused on the Palestinian and Jewish civilians of Jerusalem who will only inevitably be hurt by the brutality of the IDF, settlers, Islamists, and any other violent responses.

God keep you in good health, and may we all, regardless of our birth and myriad statuses, see ourselves free from tyranny and imposition in our lifetime.