DelPHR Mission Statement

Our mission is to advocate, educate, and inspire others to support Palestinian human rights, security, equality, and freedom.

WHO WE ARE:

We are a diverse group of constituents working to encourage U.S. policies that actively promote a just, enduring, and comprehensive resolution to the injustices and ethnic cleansing caused by the Israeli conquest and colonization of historical Palestine, ensuring equal rights, security and freedom for all the people of the region. While we also call for equal rights, security and freedom throughout the world, as U.S. residents and taxpayers our group is concerned specifically with ending our country’s material and political support of Israel’s decades-long occupation of historical Palestine and the resulting violations of human rights and international law. The U.S. has enabled the occupation by giving Israel $4 billion of unconditional military aid per year, military technology, and loan guarantees, and generally exercising its veto to prevent censure of, much less sanctions on, Israel by the UN Security Council. Since October 2023, this support has escalated to $18 billion in weapons to commit genocide on the population of the Gaza Strip.

See DelPHR’s 10/10/23 statement on the violence in Palestine & Israel.

WE CALL FOR:

• an end to Israel’s military occupation of the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem, beginning with an immediate freeze on the construction and expansion of settlements and removal of checkpoints and walls/fences beyond the "Green Line." At the decision of Palestinians, this should be followed by evacuation, removal, or integration of settlements.  These demands are supported by, and call for, the implementation of international law and past UN Security Council resolutions;

• equal rights and one law for all people living in historical Palestine, including equal civil and political rights. All should have equal rights now, not someday based on future negotiations, but as a fundamental human right today. We call for an END to: demolition of Palestinian homes, severe restrictions on building permits, confiscation of Palestinian land, inequitable distribution of water, destruction of Palestinian agriculture, incarceration and indefinite detention by military courts, segregated Israeli-only roads, and military law and military courts for Palestinians under occupation while Jewish settlers live under civilian law and civilian courts;

• a resolution of the Palestinian refugee problem consistent with international law and equity, whether refugees choose to pursue return, resettlement, or compensation. Under international law Palestinians have the right to return and the right to self-determination.

• a U.S. foreign policy based on promoting equal rights and respect for international law. Specifically, we call for the U.S. to link the exercise of its Security Council veto and grant of military aid to Israel’s compliance with international law in ending its occupation; to enforce the U.S. Arms Export Control Act and the U.S. Foreign Assistance Act; and to remove the tax-exempt status of U.S. groups funding the maintenance or construction of settlements.

OUR ACTIVITIES

Our activities include participation in boycotts and divestment focusing on entities which profit from or help to sustain the occupation; public education and programs; coordinated calls and outreach to our Congressional and other political representatives; and development of alliances with other groups in order to increase our effectiveness.