2023 is ending with immense sorrow for the people of Ukraine and Gaza.

After 22 months of war with Russia, Ukraine has largely ceased to exist as a viable country. Their economy is shattered and they’re running out of soldiers to continue fighting. Ukraine has incurred hundreds of thousands dead and wounded. Most of Ukraine’s destruction could have been avoided. The 2 sides were close to a peace agreement in the first month. But the US, funding Ukraine’s involvement with billions in weapons, sabotaged the impending peace to weaken Russia.

Gaza is even worse. America is also funding Israel with billions in weapons, including white phosphorus and 2,000 lb. megabombs. Israel is using them in its genocidal ethnic cleansing of the 2.3 million Palestinians. Over 20,000 US bombs have made Gaza virtually uninhabitable with over 100,000 dead and wounded. Over 75% of Gazans are refugees with little food, water, medicine or electricity. All of this is with US unflinching political and moral support.

Neither of these 2 US funded wars are supported by a majority of the American people. Our government chooses to wage perpetual war, direct or proxy, in spite of public opinion.

But Americans for peace should never give up trying to end these murderous, wasteful wars. We must contact President Biden and our House and Senate members to defeat Biden’s proposed $111 billion weapons package to continue supplying Ukraine and Israel with the weapons needed to wage continued war.

Both wars have the potential to spiral out of control. Ukraine could go nuclear. Gaza could devolve into a regional conflict likely to draw in direct US involvement. Ending these wars is more than ending the death, destruction and suffering of the people in Ukraine and Gaza. It may save us here in safe and privileged America as well.

Walt Zlotow