The New Jersey chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-NJ), along with the Palestinian American Community Center and American Muslims for Palestine, has released an open letter addressed to New Jersey’s elected officials. The letter calls for action in light of Israel’s ongoing operations in Gaza.
In the open letter, the coalition of Muslim community organizations states: “The Muslim community has long called for an end to Israel’s illegal occupation, Palestinians’ right to return to their ancestral lands, and the right to self-determination. This remains our call.” The groups request state officials to address several key issues, including “Israel’s heightened levels of violence and settlement expansions,” and “Israel’s continued harassment of Palestinians and Palestinian Americans.”
CAIR-NJ Executive Director Selaedin Maksut weighed in, stating, “We continue to stand firmly against Israeli occupation and in opposition to Israel’s relentless bombing of civilian infrastructure including hospitals and humanitarian aid, and its ongoing siege and blockade of the 25-mile-long strip. Our solidarity and support are unwavering with our sisters and brothers in Gaza and the Occupied West Bank.”
The open letter, signed by fourteen local mosques across New Jersey, also emphasizes the contributions of Palestinian and Muslim Americans to the state. “Palestinians and Muslim Americans make up a thriving segment of New Jersey’s population… it is entirely unacceptable for elected officials to completely overlook our pain,” Maksut added.
The coalition also urged the public to reach out to their representatives. They called Israel’s actions in Gaza and the Occupied West Bank a “substantial obstacle to peace,” echoing language used by the United Nations. The letter closes by saying that “Israel and only Israel bears responsibility for the calamities that we have been witnessing,” while also expressing a desire for no harm to come to any innocent lives.