The Justice for Palestine Committee formed within the Syracuse Peace Council following Israel’s 2008 invasion of Gaza. Guided by principles of equality and human rights, we work toward justice, freedom, and dignity for all Palestinians and Israelis, regardless of religion or ethnicity.
To advance these goals, the committee focuses on the following 10 objectives:
- Promoting Palestinian Self-Determination
- Support the Palestinian people’s right to self-governance and independence, as affirmed by international law.
- UN: The Right of the Palestinian Self-Determination (2024)
- Ending the Siege of Gaza
- Call for an immediate end to Israel’s blockade of Gaza to allow the free flow of humanitarian aid, clean water, and essential goods.
- Human Rights Watch: Gaza’s Water Infrastructure Needs Rebuilding (2025)
- Ending the Occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem
- Advocate for an end to Israel’s ongoing military occupation and the dismantling of settlements built in violation of international law.
- UN Security Council Report (2025)
- Ending U.S. Military Aid to Israel
- Urge the United States to stop funding human rights violations and redirect resources toward peacebuilding and humanitarian efforts.
- Arab Center DC: Ending Military Aid to Israel (2024)
- Uphold the Right of Return
- Advocate for the fair and just implementation of Palestinian refugees’ right to return to their homes or receive full compensation, as recognized by the UN.
- Al-Awda: The Ongoing Nakba, 1948-2025 – Our Return is Coming (2025)
- Dismantling Israeli Apartheid
- Work to end the system of apartheid identified by international human rights organizations and replace it with full equality for all who live under Israeli control.
- HRW: Israeli Apartheid Threshold Crossed (2021)
- Free Political Detainees
- Call for the release of Palestinians imprisoned without charge or trial and demand humane treatment for all detainees.
- HRW: Israel Detainees Face Inhumane Treatment (2024)
- Providing Reparations
- Support reparations for Palestinians whose homes, livelihoods, and infrastructure have been destroyed by occupation.
- World Bank & UN Report on Gaza Infrastructure Damage (2024)
- Restore Palestinian Water Rights
- Defend Palestine’s right to access and control its natural water sources, ensuring safe and sustainable water for all communities.
- Geneva Academy: International Humanitarian Law Report on Water Rights (2025)
- Support Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS)
- Promote the BDS movement as nonviolent means to pressure Israel to comply with international law and respect Palestinian human rights.
- BDS Movement Official Site
We believe that to truly understand the struggle in Palestine, it must be seen as a fight against ongoing settler colonialism and occupation. Israel’s establishment and expansion have depended on the displacement of Palestinians, and justice requires recognizing and challenging that reality. Our perspective is rooted in solidarity with the Palestinian struggle for freedom and self-determination, and in a commitment to justice and equality for all people in the region.
Revised March 2026.