“We urge your administration, and all world leaders, to honor all of the lives in the Holy Land and call for and facilitate a ceasefire without delay – an end to the bombing of Gaza,

The statement, distributed by the organization Artists 4 Ceasefire, also includes a comment from UNICEF spokesperson James Elder, emphasizing the devastation inflicted on the population of Gaza by ongoing Israeli air strikes and blockades on water and power. The statement was first published on Vanity.com.

“Children and families in Gaza have practically run out of food, water, electricity, medicine and safe access to hospitals, following days of air strikes and cuts to all supply routes,” Elder’s statement reads. “Gaza’s sole power plant ran out of fuel Wednesday afternoon, shutting down electricity, water and wastewater treatment. Most residents can no longer get drinking water from service providers or household water through pipelines…. The humanitarian situation has reached lethal lows, and yet all reports point to further attacks. Compassion — and international law –must prevail.”

Another letter demanding a ceasefire in Gaza and opening for humanitarian aid in the region drew several significant signatories earlier this week. The statement, from Artists for Palestine UK, was signed by figures such as Tilda Swinton, Charles Dance, Steve Coogan, Miriam Margolyes, Michael Winterbottom, Mike Leigh and Asif Kapadia. The letter accused the British government of “not only tolerating war crimes but aiding and abetting them.”

On October 7, after the attack by Hamas, a militant group seeking to represent Palestine (over 1400 lives were lost and 200 hostages taken after this unprecedented attack), the Israeli government –supported by both the US and the UK—has responded by launching a “complete siege on Gaza, as described by Israel’s minister of defence, Yoav Gallant. More than 3,000 Palestinians have been killed in the conflict so far, according to the Ministry of Health of Palestine

In a visit to Israel earlier this week, President Biden affirmed the United States’ allegiance to Israel, stating that he would “ask the United States Congress for an unprecedented support package for Israel’s defence.” He also worked with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi on an agreement to open the country’s sealed border with Gaza, allowing up to 20 trucks carrying humanitarian aid supplies to provide relief to a population of more than two million people.

The Open Letter by the artists may be read here:

Dear President Biden,

“We come together as artists and advocates, but most importantly as human beings witnessing the devastating loss and unfolding horrors in Israel and Palestine.

“We ask that, as President of the United States, you call for an immediate de-escalation and ceasefire in Gaza and Israel before another life is lost. More than 5,000 people have been killed in the last week and a half –a number any person of conscience knows is catastrophic. We believe all life is scared, no matter faith or ethnicity and we condemn the killing of Palestinian and Israeli civilians.

“We urge your administration and world leaders, to honour all of the lives in the Holy Land and call for and facilitate a ceasefire without delay—an end to the bombing of Gaza, and the safe release of hostages. Half of Gaza’s two million residents are children, and more than two thirds are refugees and their descendants being forced to flee their homes. Humanitarian aid must be allowed to reach them.

“We believe that the United States can play a vital diplomatic role in ending the suffering and we are adding our voices to those from the US Congress, UNICEF, Doctors without Borders, The International Committee of The Read Cross and so many others. Saving lives is a moral imperative. To echo UNICEF, “Compassion –and international law—must prevail.”

“As of writing, more than 6,000 bombs have been dropped on Gaza in the last 12 days, resulting in a child being killed every 15 minutes.

“Children and families in Gaza have practically run out of food water, electricity, medicine and safe access to hospitals, following days of air strikes and cuts to all supply routes. Gaza’s sole power plant ran out of fuel Wednesday afternoon, shutting down electricity, water and wastewater treatment. Most residents can no longer get water from service providers or household water through pipelines….The humanitarian situation has reached lethal lows, and yet all reports point to further attacks. Compassion –and international law –most prevail (UNICEF spokesperson James Elder.

“Beyond our pain and mourning for all the people there and their loved ones around the world we are motivated by an unbending will to stand for common humanity. We stand for freedom, justice, dignity and peace for all people—and a deep desire to stop more bloodshed.

“We refuse to tell future generations the story of our silence, that we stood by and did nothing, As Emergency Relief Chief, Martin Griffiths told UN News, “History is watching.”

Alia Shawkat, Alyssa Milano, Amanda Seales, Amber Tamblyn, America Ferrera, Andrew Garfield, anousha Shankar, Aria Mia Loberti, Ayo Edebiri, Bassam Traiq, Bassem Yousef, Cate Blanchett, Channing Tatum, Cherien Dabis, Darius Marder, David Cross, Dominique Fishback, Dominique Thorne, Elvira Lina, Farah Bsaiso, Fatima Farheen Mirza, Hasan Minhaj, Hend Sabry, Ilana Glazer, Indya Moore, James Scahmus, Jeremy Strong, Jessica Chastain, Joaquin Phoenix, Jon Stewart, Kristen Stewart, Macklemore, Mahershala Ali, Margaret Cho, Mark Ruffalo, May Calamawy, Michael Malarkey, Micahel Stipe, Michelle Wolf, Mo Omer, Oscar, Isaac, Quinta Brunson, Ramy Youssef, Riz Ahmed, Rooney, Mara, Rosario Dawson, Ryan Coogler, Sandra Oh, Sebastian Silva, Shailene Woodley, Shaka King, Susan Sarandon, Vic Mensa, Wallace Shawn, Wanda.

Related:

An Israeli air strike hits a Gaza church that wasn’t just sheltering Palestinian Christians and Muslims, but was one of the oldest in the world

US: Jewish peace activists protest in solidarity with Palestine, demand ceasefire in Gaza

Protesting US arms shipments to Israel, Director, US State department, Josh Paul, resigns

Israeli airstrike on Gaza hospital kills at least 500, Israel blame game continues

Palestine-Israel conflict: Need to look beyond security paradigm 

Ending Israeli Occupation of Palestine essential in ending historic injustice: UN Commission

The post Joaquin Phoenix, Cate Blanchett and other stars demand that Joe Biden calls for Israel-Gaza Ceasefire: ‘Compassion must prevail” appeared first on SabrangIndia.

A still from the film

But first things first. Wonder how many in the packed theatre Mumbai’s western suburb of Goregaon where I caught a morning show (interspersed with smells and sounds of wafers and frantic talk about Aaj raatey tamey kyaan daandiyaa ramavaa jaaye rahyaa chho?) would cheer similarly if the Joker was a man of colour. Think about it! An American desi (a Howdy Modi attendee from Houston, if you may), a black man or a Filipino as Arthur Fleck? Or if the youth who steal his sign and brutalise him in an alley were white skinheads instead of boys of colour?

Would it work? Would people still cheer and go on about the film’s brilliance like now? I know its hard for the white man to accept that he has to cede ground to others equally to stay relevant and in the game. This is exactly how entitled conservative upper castes feel about the rise and rise of sections of society who their forefathers ‘kept in place.’ And they had to reluctantly cheer when a few upper castes hit by the helper’s high ‘touched the lives of the downtrodden.’ But that’s changing. Fast and furious.

Angry about their entitlement being cut they have begun seeing hope in grabbing power even if this means pushing the world as we know it to the precipice of anarchy. Polarisation, otherisation, exclusion, deciding who is a citizen and/or patriotic or not, what you eat, how you pray, who you vote and cheer for can decide which side of the divide you find yourself on.

When Arthur Fleck brutally shoots dead Murray Franklin on his live show it sparks rebellion on the streets of Gotham. When police take him away he laughs eerily into the camera, a gang in clown masks in an ambulance hits and turns the police car turtle. They rescue and sprawl him out on the bonnet of a police car to celebrate Fleck who is now Joker, their hero. The parallels here to the cow-vigilante lynch mobs being celebrated by mainstream politicians who help them stay out of jail and felicitate them inciting others to mirror them is too strong to ignore.

And look at the symbolism here as the Joker stands up to dance his moves mimic Michael Jackson – one of the most iconic black artistes we have known. Its like Joker wants even the last vestige of law and order as we know it destroyed and create a new one. And for that, he has no qualms borrowing the victim narrative and grammar of the actually marginalised and disenfranchised groups. Again the parallel with the entitled majoritarian Indian upper castes trying to appropriate victim narratives to stay in power and in control is too stark to ignore. But that’s not all, once they come into power, like the white Joker they also are trying to destroy every vestige of what the founding fathers have left us (like the Constitution itself!) and we remain clueless.

Just like the joke Arthur is telling the black social worker at Arkham State Hospital this one’s on us. And the system keeps laughing uproariously and uncontrollably just like him to our face because we “wouldn’t get it.” Two general elections have proven that. Conclusively.
 

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