Welcome to Delawareans for Palestinian Human Rights (DelPHR). Our mission is to advocate, educate and inspire others to support Palestinian human rights and dignity so collectively we can help bring about an Israeli-Palestinian peaceful resolution.
Read a brief description of the conflict / occupation here. Also see video “Israel & Palestine: A Very Short Introduction.” Want answers? Find responses to comments such as "the U.S. should support Israel because we share fundamental values,” and ”Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East," on our FAQ page. Please join our mailing list to receive action alerts and weekly news summaries. Our Congress members need to hear our voices.
MARCH 8, 2023: Representative Lisa Blunt Rochester Calls for Ceasefire in Gaza
We are grateful to Delaware’s Representative Lisa Blunt Rochester for her principled and courageous statement calling for “a mutual, long-term ceasefire between Israel and Hamas” and emphasizing Israel’s failure to prioritize “sparing innocent Palestinian lives.” We desperately hope it emboldens our senators and President Biden to speak out and ultimately end the U.S. arming and financing of Israel’s destruction, murder, displacement and starvation of Gaza. Thank you to all those who reached out to Representative Blunt Rochester, one time or many, to advocate for a ceasefire! Please call and thank her for her principled stance and for listening to her constituents! 202-225-2441.
“Since October 7th, the extreme loss of life among Israelis and Palestinians has been horrific. The ongoing death and destruction in Gaza shocks the conscience and is simply untenable. As the humanitarian crisis in Gaza worsens, we must move swiftly to end the violence and this war. After very careful and prayerful deliberation and countless discussions with Delawareans across the state, I have come to the conclusion that the only way forward is a long-term ceasefire in which both the Israeli military and Hamas simultaneously and immediately end the violence (her bold). I am so thankful to all the Delawareans who have been sharing their voices and their vulnerability with me, whether it be in-person or through phone calls or letters to my office…” See entire statement.
Thank you everyone for the great turnout and presentations at the Conversation on Black and Palestinian Solidarity. The event is now over.
OF INTEREST! Website listing big donors to AIPAC and other members of the Israel lobby: Exposing Israel’s Accomplices (israelsaccomplices.com)
DE Senator Tom Carper: (202) 224- 2441 Contact form
DE Senator Chris Coons: (202) 224-5042 Contact form
DE Representative Lisa Blunt Rochester: (202) 225-4165 Contact form
White House comment line: 202-456-1111 (open 11am -3 pm Tues-Thurs) White House email: noreply@contact.whitehouse.gov White House Contact form
State Department Public Communications Division: 202-647-6575
5calls.org - Gives script and phone numbers for Congress members once you enter a zip code and choose a topic. You dial. Advantage is the script. No registration or address needed.
To email comments to news media:
CNN on air: cnn.onair@cnn.com CNN online: cnn.newscenter@cnn.com
PBS: publiceditor.org for PBS WHYY: talkback@whyy.org
MSNBC on air: msnbctvinfo@nbcuni.com MSNBC online msnbc.digital.editors@nbcuni.com
NBC news on air: contact.nbcnews@nbcuni.com NBC news online: nbcnewsdigitalcontact@nbcuni.com
DELPHR’S STATEMENT ON RECENT VIOLENCE IN PALESTINE AND ISRAEL
10/10/23. We are anguished and heartbroken by the suffering and loss of life for the people of Palestine and Israel caused by the recent outbreak of war and violence. Every human life has value whether Palestinian or Israeli.
We must acknowledge that the central causes of recent violence are Israel's decades-long brutal occupation, repression, and dehumanizing treatment of Palestinians. The people of Gaza have been forcibly trapped for decades under abhorrent conditions. In the West Bank, settlers terrorize entire Palestinian villages, soldiers raid and demolish Palestinian homes, soldiers murder Palestinians in the streets, and Israeli ministers call for genocide and expulsion.
We hold accountable the Israeli government, the US government that funds and excuses Israeli apartheid and occupation policies, and every international leader who continues to turn a blind eye to Palestinian oppression.
There is no path to a future of safety and freedom for all Palestinians and Israelis without an end to the ongoing Israeli occupation and apartheid system. Occupation will keep triggering resistance. We call on the US government to stop supporting Israel with one-sided unconditional military aid and protection of Israel at the UN.
We stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people in their quest for freedom, justice, and dignity.
Posted by Delphr May 18, 2021: “An Open Letter to President Biden from Your Delaware Constituents: Joe Biden on Apartheid: Then and Now”
Is Israel an apartheid state? The reports from major human rights organizations:
“Israel’s Apartheid Against Palestinians: Cruel system of domination and crime against humanity”, Amnesty International, February 1, 2022
“A Threshold Crossed: Israeli Authorities and the Crimes of Apartheid and Persecution”, Human Rights Watch, April 2021
“This Is Apartheid”, Israeli human rights group B’Tselem, January 2021
Other articles:
Israel-Palestine: from Colonisation Straight to Apartheid, May 2, 2023
It’s Apartheid, Say Israeli Ambassadors to South Africa, June 8, 2021
What John Dugard Tells Us About Apartheid in South Africa and Israel/Palestine, June 7, 2021
The Fall and Rise (and Fall?) of Apartheid, May 27, 2021
For a comprehensive list of Congressional actions related to Palestine and Israel, see the weekly Legislative Round-ups by Lara Friedman of the Foundation for Middle East Peace.
Did you know an anti-BDS bill was introduced in New Castle County in 2015? DelPHR members and supporters helped STOP the anti-boycott ordinance introduced in New Castle County on September 29, 2015 (Ordinance 15-093) by testifying at the Pension Board hearing. (DelPHR’s name at the time was Delaware Neighbors Against the Occupation, DelNATO.) Consequently the ordinance was withdrawn by its sponsor in January 2016 and never faced a County Council vote. See this announcement to supporters in November 2015 after the New Castle County Pension Board voted not to recommend the ordinance. For information on CURRENT legislative attacks on BDS, see article by Palestine Legal.