US taxpayers file big lawsuit wey accuse Washington unto Gaza genocide
Di taxpayers say both Biden and Trump administration, togeda with Congress, contribute directly to di bad tins wey happen to Palestinians.
Ova 4,000 American taxpayers don carry mata go international law, as dem file complaint against dia own government say dem dey support wetin dem call genocide wey Israel dey do for Gaza.
Dis case, wey dem expand and amend as legal filing for Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), na di first time wey US citizens go join hand together to find justice for di role wey Washington play for di atrocities wey dem say dem commit against Palestinians.
Di complaint wey dem submit on October 7, na Taxpayers Against Genocide (TAG), di National Lawyers Guild International Committee (NLG), and some Palestinian-American petitioners carry am go. Dem talk say di Biden and Trump administrations, plus Congress, dey directly contribute to crimes against humanity for Gaza.
Tariq Ra’ouf, one of di Palestinian-American complainants, talk say di filing dey send message to activists for di world say dem no need wait for politicians to do di right thing; dem fit demand justice by demsef.
Di human rights advocate explain say di kain destruction wey e see for phone as Israeli military dey bomb hospitals, churches, mosques, and apartment buildings na wetin push am to take action.
“We don see with our own eyes wetin our tax money dey do, and we no go gree make our government dey use di money we work hard for to commit war crimes instead of to provide di resources wey go help our communities grow,” Ra’ouf tell TRT World.
“Our government dey put war and destruction first, and na why we carry dis complaint go IACHR, to hold our leaders accountable for di way dem dey choose violence over humanity,” e add.
Di lawsuit, wey dey almost 200 pages with annexes, accuse di US of breaking di American Declaration of di Rights and Duties of Man. Di authors describe am as something wey come out from grief, vex, and di refusal to accept say human life fit just dey wasted anyhow.
TAG, di grassroots movement wey dey behind dis initiative, represent thousands of Americans wey dey talk say di tax money wey dem dey pay don dey fund mass killing, famine, and di destruction of Gaza health system.
Seth Donnelly, co-founder of TAG, talk say wetin push dem as working-class taxpayers for US na di fact say di people wey dem elect dey use di tax money illegally to fund di genocide for Palestine, instead of to invest for public services like healthcare wey dem need for house.
Di movement dey hope say di rest of di world go notice say thousands of US taxpayers don rise to challenge di US government, wey Donnelly describe as “di source of di problem of dis genocide.”
“Di evidence of US complicity and participation for di genocide for Palestine dey too much. If di IACHR rule against di US, e go send strong message say no nation, even one wey strong like US, dey above di law,” Donnelly tell TRT World.
Di petition dey led by Palestinian-American human rights lawyer Huwaida Arraf, wey co-found di Freedom Flotilla Coalition, and Maria Kari, di executive director of Project TAHA. Other petitioners include Susan Abulhawa, Monadel Herzallah, Hadil El Wahidy, and Tarik Kanaana.
Earlier dis month, Hamas and Israel reach di first phase of US-proposed Gaza deal to stop di fight and exchange prisoners. But di ceasefire no last as Israeli forces still kill at least seven Palestinians, breaking di agreement.
Di petitioners don ask di IACHR to take quick action to stop di killings for Gaza. Members of TAG dey hope say di ceasefire go bring lasting peace, but dem still dey hold di US government responsible for di two years of genocide wey dem fund.
“US officials need to face di consequences. If dem no hold dem accountable, di problem of US participation for crimes against humanity go continue,” Donnelly talk.
Even though di IACHR no fit prosecute US officials, dem fit determine if Washington dey break international human rights law. Findings like dis fit carry political and moral weight, as e don happen before for other cases.
Ra’ouf talk say if di ruling favour di taxpayers, e go show say di average US citizen get power pass wetin dem think, and e go send message say di US no dey immune to accountability.
Di complaint don get support from many organisations like di Centre for Constitutional Rights, CAIR, USPCN, Jewish Voice for Peace, and others. Prominent people like Dr. Cornel West and Dr. Jill Stein also support di filing.
For many people wey dey involved, dis lawsuit na part of di bigger fight against di global systems wey dey protect di powerful while di vulnerable dey suffer.