top of page
Writer's pictureKris Avalon

Drake Signs Artists4Ceasefire Letter Urging a Pause in Israel/Palestinian Conflict




Weeks after facing heavy criticism over his silence regarding the conflict between Israel and Palestine, rap superstar Drake (who is Jewish) is finally breaking his silence.



Earlier this week, a large group of artists banded together as Artists4Ceasefire to send a lengthy open letter to President Joe Biden and the United States Congress. The letter urges them to take action immediately to end the loss of life in the conflict — a conflict which has killed around 1,400 Israelis and over 7,300 Palestinians since it began on October 7 with an attack by Hamas.


“We urge your administration, Congress, and all world leaders, to honor all of the lives in the Holy Land and call for and facilitate a ceasefire without delay – an end to the bombing of Gaza, and the safe release of hostages,” the letter reads. “Half of Gaza’s two million residents are children, and more than two thirds are refugees and their descendants being forced to flee their homes. Humanitarian aid must be allowed to reach them.”


“More than 5,000 people have been killed in the last week and a half – a number any person of conscience knows is catastrophic. We believe all life is sacred, no matter faith or ethnicity and we condemn the killing of Palestinian and Israeli civilians,” the letter continued.


Earlier this week, a large group of artists banded together as Artists4Ceasefire to send a lengthy open letter to President Joe Biden and the United States Congress. The letter urges them to take action immediately to end the loss of life in the conflict — a conflict which has killed around 1,400 Israelis and over 7,300 Palestinians since it began on October 7 with an attack by Hamas.

“We urge your administration, Congress, and all world leaders, to honor all of the lives in the Holy Land and call for and facilitate a ceasefire without delay – an end to the bombing of Gaza, and the safe release of hostages,” the letter reads. “Half of Gaza’s two million residents are children, and more than two thirds are refugees and their descendants being forced to flee their homes. Humanitarian aid must be allowed to reach them.”



A slew of artists signed the letter, including Drizzy, Jennifer Lopez, Kehlani, Killer Mike, Michael Stipe, Dua Lipa, Caroline Polachek, Macklemore, Adam Lambert, Vic Mensa, Miguel, Kaytranada, Cate Blanchett, Joaquin Phoenix, John Cusack, Lena Waithe and many others. The letter joins wide calls for a ceasefire, including at a demonstration on Friday (October 27) organized by Jewish Voice for Peace that shut down New York City’s Grand Central Station.


Israel has launched hundreds of retaliatory strikes since, pounding Gaza with an endless barrage of bombs and on-the-ground incursions that have reportedly killed more than 8,000 Palestinians as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced over the weekend that a ground-focused “second stage” of the war was beginning.


See the full open letter here.


8 views0 comments

Comments


bottom of page