I write this on the 75th day of Israel’s bombardment of Palestine.

20,000 Palestinians have been murdered. Schools, hospitals, homes and refugee camps have and continue to be bombed. Journalists and health professionals are being targeted.

According to the World Food Programme, people in Gaza are starving and nine out of 10 people living in Gaza will go at least one day without eating because of a lack of access to food.

These are our tax dollars supporting the Israeli military. We are implicated and I’d much rather spend that money on domestic needs such as education, good access, health care and affordable housing.

According to Al Jazeera, more than 60% of U.S. voters want a ceasefire and only 11% of lawmakers support one. This is a horrific and dystopian reality that our elected officials will stand strong in supporting an illegal occupation, apartheid state, genocide and ethnic cleansing with our money while the majority of us, across political affiliations, want an end to the brutality.

History has proved that pressure from constituents works. I know my representative, Bill Foster, has not called for a ceasefire. I urge you to take five minutes each day, call your elected officials and demand they call for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.

Claire Sanchez

St. Charles