Taxpayers Against Genocide (TAG) recently hosted a national webinar in response to the overwhelming support of their efforts to raise awareness of the role of the US tax money in funding genocide in Gaza. In late December, over 600 taxpayers in Northern California filed a class action lawsuit against their representatives in Congress for their vote to allocate $26.38 Billion as part of the Israel Securities Supplemental Appropriations Act.
The lawsuit cites reports from Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International that came out 2 month before Israel received the largest lump sum payment that ‘the Israeli government was systematically starving the people of Gaza through cutting off aid, water, electricity, by bombing and military occupation, all underwritten by the provisions of US military aid and weapons.”
The federal class action lawsuit that originated in 10 counties in Northern California has expanded to incorporate all Congress members who voted to support funding genocide in Palestine and is tranversing international borders. The growing TAG network is putting people in contact with each other at the state level to put together cases against their representatives but also to come together in these times to create community. The next step is to bring cases to the United Nations Human Rights Council, the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice.
For many of the plaintiffs, joining the class action lawsuit was one of many actions that they have taken. One person ended a 31 day fast when the suit was filed in district court; others mentioned calling their representatives and joining protests over the past year. Many spoke strongly of the many aspects of moral injury they have encountered including anxiety, depression and anguish while watching the genocide unfold daily on their screens. For the 2,000 people who signed onto the lawsuit, they wanted it to convey the widespread anger of living in the US and paying taxes that are at the heart of the genocide in Palestine. You can watch the webinar here TAG Webinar #1
Over the past year, many have become aware of the nearly $4 billion of US tax money going to Israel annually and has been the largest recipient of military aid for decades. While some of the TAG members were eager to share what they learned with others wanting to replicate lawsuits in their states, some spoke of wanting to take the next step and withhold their tax money and stop paying for genocide. I hope some of the people at the webinar will find their way to some of NWTRCC’s events including our upcoming Introduction to War Tax Resistance (WTR 101) on February 20th which people can register here.
Post by Chrissy Kirchhoefer
