Across the world, millions of people want to support Palestine but are not sure what to do beyond donating. The truth is that advocacy, legal pressure, and public awareness have driven some of the most significant political shifts in this crisis. When the U.S. Senate debated pausing arms shipments to Israel in 2024, it was because constituents called. When universities began reconsidering their investments, it was because students organized. Change moves through people.
The United Nations, Amnesty International, and the majority of genocide scholars have concluded that Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people. The U.S. government has sent over $30 billion in weapons to Israel since October 2023, making American taxpayers direct stakeholders in what happens next. UNRWA, the UN agency serving over 5.9 million Palestinian refugees, has had its U.S. funding cut, worsening one of the worst humanitarian crises in modern history. Award-winning Palestinian human rights groups like Al-Haq and Addameer have been sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury, cutting off critical legal accountability work.
This newsletter is a practical guide to applying that pressure, whether you have five minutes or five hours a week.
1. Call Your Representatives
This is the most direct action available to U.S. residents, and most people never do it.
Call your Senators and House Representative. Specifically, call the district office, not just Washington D.C. District staff track call volume and report it upward. A flood of calls in a home district gets noticed.
What to say: demand a permanent ceasefire, a full arms embargo on Israel, and restoration of U.S. funding to UNRWA, the UN agency that is the primary humanitarian lifeline for Palestinian refugees.
- USCPR keeps weekly-updated call scripts and email templates ready at uscpraction.org
- AFSC runs a free Action Hour every Friday at afsc.org/actionhour where advocates call Congress together, with live updates from AFSC staff in the region
- Amnesty International USA at amnestyusa.org has letter templates targeting unconditional U.S. support for Israel
If calling feels awkward, use a script the first time. It gets easier.
2. Get Into Active Campaigns
Several organizations are running campaigns right now that need participants, not just donors.
- BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions): Push your employer, university, or union to divest from companies profiting from the occupation. Full guide at uscpr.org/activist-resource/boycott-divestment-and-sanctions
- Boycott Chevron: Chevron supplies close to half of Israel's electricity. The campaign is at uscpr.org/campaigns/boycott-chevron
- Mask Off Maersk: Targets the shipping company's role in transporting arms. Join at uscpr.org/campaigns/mask-off-maersk
- Adalah Justice Project: Runs petitions, open letters, and coordinated advocacy pushes. Follow their campaigns at adalahjusticeproject.org
- Oxfam UK: Active petitions calling on governments to halt arms sales and restore aid at oxfam.org.uk/take-action
Pick one. Start there.
3. Protect Yourself and Others: Know Your Rights
Speaking up for Palestine in the U.S. right now carries real risk. Activists have had visas revoked, been fired, surveilled, and arrested for expressing solidarity. Palestine Legal, the only U.S. organization solely dedicated to defending advocates for Palestinian rights, has reported record numbers of people reaching out for legal support.
"Activists have been doxxed, investigated, censored, jailed, and assaulted simply because of their views." - Palestine Legal, April 2025
Knowing your rights before you need them is not paranoia. It is preparation.
- Download free Know Your Rights guides for protests and online activism at palestinelegal.org/know-your-rights
- For legal emergencies, contact the National Lawyers Guild: massdef@nlg.org
- For immigration-related issues, call the ADC 24/7 hotline: 844-ADC-9955
- Be cautious about sharing employer details publicly, since there are documented campaigns targeting people for termination
Pass these resources to students, organizers, and anyone in your community who is speaking up.
4. Shift the Narrative: Share and Educate
Politicians follow public opinion. Public opinion follows media and conversation. You have influence over both.
Write a letter to your local newspaper. Not a national outlet, your local paper. Local letters-to-the-editor sections are read by local officials and neighbors. AFSC has practical tips for writing letters that add context mainstream coverage misses at afsc.org.
Amplify credible sources. Follow Palestinian journalists reporting directly from Gaza: Al Jazeera, Middle East Eye, and Electronic Intifada are all recommended by AFSC for grounded, on-the-ground reporting.
Share the Stop Gaza Genocide Toolkit and its free downloadable social media graphics from USCPR at uscpr.org/stopgazagenocide.
Host the free exhibit "Why We Record: Defying Fragmentation and Erasure in Palestine" at your school, library, mosque, church, or community center. Available in three print formats at afsc.org.
Share PCRF's reports on the humanitarian crisis affecting Palestinian children at pcrf.net. Hard data about children cuts through political noise.
5. Volunteer Your Time
Most of these organizations are under-resourced and genuinely need people.
- AFSC Palestine Activism Program: Mentorship and training for local advocates. Details at afsc.org
- USCPR Youth Fellows: A national organizing fellowship for young advocates. Apply at uscpr.org/networks/youthfellows
- PCRF Medical Volunteers: Healthcare workers can apply for medical missions and remote support at pcrf.net
- UNRWA USA: Advocacy events and volunteer support for Palestinian refugees at unrwausa.org
- Palestine Legal: Attorneys and law students can join the national pro bono defense network at palestinelegal.org