CINDY CORRIE, cindy@rachelcorriefoundation.org, @rcfoundation
Cindy Corrie is the mother of Rachel Corrie and president of the board of directors of the Rachel Corrie Foundation.

She and her husband Craig just released a statement: “Our daughter Rachel Corrie was killed in Gaza 20 years ago by an Israeli military-operated bulldozer as she tried to defend a Palestinian family’s home. Two days before her death, Rachel described seeing children shot and killed, greenhouses and homes demolished. She told reporters that she was witnessing the ‘systematic destruction of people’s ability to survive,’ and added, ‘That is incredibly horrifying.’ Her death brought us into relationships with many Palestinians in Gaza. For two decades, we have worked alongside them to amplify their experiences of daily survival and resilience, and to call attention to the devastating humanitarian consequences of Israel’s occupation, siege, and blockade of Gaza. We have worked alongside Jewish and Israeli peace activists, as well, who have joined the struggle for Palestinian freedom. …

“In serving the interests of Israelis, Palestinians, and all in the region, we must do all in our power to support de-escalation of the situation and a ceasefire, and to ensure that the civilian population of Gaza, so dehumanized in the current discourse, is protected. At this critical juncture, we urge our political leaders and the public to join us in not simply returning to the status quo, but to genuinely working for a future in which Palestinians and Jewish Israelis live together as equals on shared lands.