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“Ceasefire Now. Stop Weapons. Save Lives.”
Artists4Ceasefire Calls on Leaders to Follow US and International Laws To Achieve Immediate Ceasefire, End Suffering
The call is led by artists and humanitarian organizations, featuring a collaboration with artist Shepard Fairey
New York, NY – Today, Artists4Ceasefire launched a partnership with artist Shepard Fairey and humanitarian organizations to call for a halt to weapons transfers that violate U.S. and international law1. Artists4Ceasefire’s message echoes international humanitarian organizations, unions, policymakers, grassroots movements, and a majority of Americans who want immediate action to stop the killing and achieve a permanent ceasefire.
Artists4Ceasefire joined with Oxfam America, ActionAid USA, and War Child Alliance/Children in Conflict to issue its call to action through a series of Instagram posts bearing the messaging “Ceasefire Now, Stop Weapons, Save Lives.”
The posts feature the artwork of Shepard Fairey, renowned visual artist behind the Obama ‘HOPE’ image. Fairey shares that, “The Barb Wire Peace Dove carries the message of the collective humanity we must find to rise above hostility and put an end to the destruction and devastation. We cannot wait another moment—a world rooted in justice and peace for all people is possible.”
The “Stop Weapons, Save Lives” call comes as part of the collective’s ongoing advocacy for an immediate and permanent ceasefire, the safe return of all hostages, and delivery of humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza, first issued through an open letter to President Biden in October 2023, signed by over 470 major Hollywood and cultural figures.
1 Arms Export Control Act (AECA), Foreign Assistance Act/Leahy Laws, Geneva Conventions of 1949 & Additional Protocols
Oxfam America’s Associate Director for Peace and Security, Scott Paul, said, “The humanitarian crisis in Gaza grows more dire each day, fueled by the United States’ seemingly limitless provision of weapons to Israel. The United States must stop the sale of lethal arms to Israel in violation of its own law and policy. It must push for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza and secure the return of all hostages and illegally detained prisoners. Palestinian civilians and Israeli hostages remain at risk until a ceasefire is secured; it is the only way to ensure peace and security for all Palestinians and Israelis.”
Approximately 1,200 Israelis were killed on October 7th, 2023 and over 200 were taken hostage by Hamas. In the last 11 months, Israel’s military operations in Gaza have killed at least 40,000 Palestinians, 16,500 of them children.
Speaking to the humanitarian crisis facing Palestinians in Gaza, ActionAid USA said, “The direct targeting of hospitals and obstruction to healthcare facilities by Israeli forces, alongside the limited access to medical supplies, has endangered around 50,000 pregnant women and 20,000 newborn babies.”
Starvation, dehydration, and disease have reached devastating levels in Gaza, with nearly all 2.2 million people there displaced from their homes, including over 700,000 children.
96% of Gaza’s population is facing acute food insecurity.
Rob Williams, War Child Alliance CEO, stated that, “The situation for children in Gaza is the deadliest we at War Child and Children in Conflict have seen in our over 30-year history. But for every minute this war continues, children’s lives are in danger. We can’t say it enough: an immediate and permanent ceasefire is desperately needed to protect children from this worsening catastrophe. Furthermore, all hostages and Palestinian civilians detained without due course must be released. Only when this war ends will it be possible to rebuild homes and livelihoods and get children the food, water, and mental and physical health support they desperately need.”
For more, visit artists4ceasefire.org
ARTIST QUOTES FOR PUBLICATION
Mark Ruffalo: “Our demand is simple—our elected leaders must enforce existing US and international humanitarian laws that prohibit the use of military assistance to commit “grave human rights violations. The UK just announced that it’s halting 30 of its arms export licenses to Israel. It’s not enough, but it is a start, and more than the US, the biggest supplier of arms and weapons to Netanyahu and the state of Israel, has done. Our government holds the cards to achieving a permanent ceasefire. It’s what the majority of Americans want. We keep hearing that they’re working around the clock to achieve a ceasefire. Let’s be clear: Biden already has the authority to condition or cut off offensive military aid to Israel if Netanyahu refuses to accept a permanent cease-fire.”
Cynthia Nixon: “Words without action will not end the unbearable suffering of Palestinian and Israeli mothers, fathers and children. Enough is enough. The global call for a permanent ceasefire— supported domestically by an overwhelming majority of Americans—must be answered. Hundreds of thousands of Israelis are in the streets demanding an immediate ceasefire from Netanyahu and his government. It’s long past time for the US to live up its professed values, respect and enforce domestic and international law and put an end to this man-made catastrophe.”
Ilana Glazer: “The way the United States is breaking international law is making Jewish people less safe and contributing to the global rise of anti-Semitism. The safety and security of Jews and Muslims, of Israelis and Palestinians, is inextricably intertwined. We have a moral and legal obligation to stop the flow of weapons, which is violating international law. The time is now. Every moment is costing precious lives.”
Mahershala Ali: “We are standing together to remind US and global leaders that the lives of millions of human beings are on the line—both Palestinians and Israelis – and by sending and endless barrage of weapons, we are in fact facilitating death and destruction, while merely paying lip service to peace, security and humanity for both people. We must embrace the universal truth that no human is worth more than another and the only path forward is for our leaders to actually lead, follow our own laws and end the mass destruction being perpetrated in our names and with our tax dollars.”
ABOUT ARTISTS4CEASEFIRE
Artists4Ceasefire (A4C) is a collective of artists and advocates who have come together in response to the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Israel and Palestine. A4C signatories are lending their voices and platforms to amplify the global call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire, the safe return of all hostages, and the immediate delivery of humanitarian aid to the civilians in Gaza.
A4C stands for our common humanity, and a future rooted in freedom, justice, dignity and peace for all people. We cannot be silent. Compassion must prevail.
For media inquiries or further information, please contact [email protected].
