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WHAT WE DO

WE HAVE ONE MISSION:

HELPING NON-COMBATANTS LEAVE GAZA.

To achieve our Mission, we must continually pursue all of the following:

– Liaise with Israeli Government Officials to ensure passage for non-combatants.
– Perform outreach to hosting partner nations and supporting partner nations
– Report progress on helping non-combatants leave Gaza
– Offer media appearances
– Inform the public as to topics relevant to our Mission.

PARTNER COUNTRIES

One of Gaza Passage’s primary functions is to maximize the assistance from nations interested in our mission to help avert a humanitarian crisis. Gaza Passage expects all nations to value and respect the ability of non-combatants to escape a war zone.

Partner types include:

– Hosting Partner Nations
– Supporting Partner Nations
– Israeli Government

We also have media partners. See “Press” section.

Check back for updates on countries that support our Mission.

WORKING GROUP

Washington University School of Law Alumni (including an international war crimes investigator) with diverse political backgrounds started Gaza Passage to attract like-minded group of international attorneys who share the single goal of helping non-combatants leave Gaza to avoid a humanitarian crisis during the war (October 2023). The Working Group includes:

American conservatives and liberals, African Americans and Jews. It has expanded to include International attorneys, liaisons to both the Israeli and American governments, and outreach resources. 

WORKING GROUP ADVISORS

DR. ISAAC AMON, JD, LLM, JSD

Dr. Amon is an international legal scholar with significant experience as a war crimes investigator. He has experience working at the United Nations and served as a Legal Atrocity Crimes Investigator for an NGO from 2019-2021. In 2023, Dr. Amon earned Missouri Bar Foundation’s W. Oliver Rasch Award for best legal writing. (LinkedIn bio.)

Dr. Amon has earned three law degrees from Washington Unversity School of Law where he serves as an Adjunct Professor of Law. He is the current Director of Academic Research & Program Development at the Jewish Heritage Alliance.

CHRISTOPHER BEDELL, JD

Christopher Bedell is an Associate at Polsinelli based in St. Louis, Missouri. Much of Mr. Bedell’s practice consists of working with government entities and elected officials. He serves as Chairman and Affording Housing Representative to the City of St. Louis’ Building Energy Improvement Board. He also was nominated to serve as the youngest Commissioner of the St. Louis County Planning Commission in 30 years. He is active in Missouri’s Democratic Party. He also runs a citizen discussion group with candidates seeking office. 

Mr. Bedell has harbored a long-term interest in Middle East Affairs. He is double-degreed from Washington University where he earned his JD. (LinkedIn bio).

ERIELLE DAVIDSON

Erielle Davidson is an Associate at Holtzman Vogel in Washington, D.c. Prior to joining the firm, she clerked for the Hon. Steven Menashi on Second Circuit Court of Appeals. Ms. Davidson brings to GazaPassage her past experience as the Associate Director of the Center for the Middle East and International Law at George Mason University’s Antonin Scalia School of Law. 

Ms Davidson served as the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Law and Public Policy at Georgetown Law where she earned her Juris Doctor. She majored in Russian at Middlebury College prior to law school.

Ms. Davidson is an active political writer in US publications (@politicalelle).

PAT ECKLER

Donald “Pat” Eckler is an attorney and legal commentator based out of Chicago, Illinois. His legal accomplishments include: Partner at Freeman, Mathis, & Gary, LLP, Secretary/Treasurer of Illinois Defense Counsel, Member of DRI Taskforce on TPLF, and Co-host of Podium and Panel Podcast.

Mr. Eckler is widely known as having a prodigious knowledge of civil procedure which he shares regularly with his network. 

Mr. Eckler is a former college basketball coach and has earned degrees from the University of Chicago and the University of Florida. (LinkedIn Bio.)

ADAM FLOREK

Adam Florek is a litigator based out of Chicago. He is Of Counsel at at nationwide firm Peiffer Wolf Carr Kane Conway & Wise (with office in St. Louis). Mr. Florek’s practice is focused on all types of civil, commercial, and class litigation. After law school, he clerked for the Hon. Charles R. Norgle at the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and Hon. William J. Bauer at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.

Mr. Florek received his Juris Doctorate from the University of Illinois Chicago’s John Marshall Law School where he was the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law. (LinkedIn bio.)

JEROME MARCUS

Jerome Marcus is a litigator based in Philadelphia and the President of The Deborah Project, a public interest law firm helping people affected by anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism on American university campuses. He is also a fellow at the Kohelet Policy Forum where his work relates to the law of war and Israel’s policies on that topic. Mr. Marcus is a former United States federal prosecutor.

He has earned three degrees from the University of Chicago – undergraduate, business, and law. (LinkedIn bio).

ANTONIO VALIENTE

Antonio Valiente serves as Director and Deputy General Counsel for all of Latin America of International Payments Innovator Athena Bitcoin Global. Mr. Valiente formerly served as General Counsel of Wal Mart Inc. (Puerto Rico). He resides in Puerto Rico where he serves as country manager of LocalCounseled and his own law firm conducting financial arbitrations. He has served international corporations as counsel for 25 years.

Mr. Valiente attended Fordham University and earned his JD from Inter American University School of Law, for both Common and Civil Law. (LinkedIn bio).

EDWARD "COACH" WEINHAUS

Coach is Contemporary Jewish Issues Commentator, Professor, and Academic having taught at the nation’s top universities including University of Chicago, Washington University, and UCLA. He currently teaches at Yeshiva University in New York. Coach serves as Special Media Advisor to the Chair of the Knesset’s Constitution, Law, and Justice Committee. Coach’s international background includes earning two European degrees, living abroad in three different countries, and overseeing implementation of bitcoin as legal tender for the only country to do so. (Fuller bio.)

Coach has earned five degrees, including two law degress from Washington University, where he is pursuing his doctorate.

PRESS

GazaPassage will partner with media companies and programs that are willing to cover the plight of civilians while Gaza remains at significant risk of being a war zone. Stay tuned for more.

ABOUT

On October 7, 2023, Hamas and Israel were at war after Hamas’ attacks in Israel. It didn’t take long for the world to realize that the civilian, non-combatant Gazans were stuck in Gaza. Gaza Passage was founded to help the civilians who wish to leave for safety can do so.

The work isn’t easy. Israel has to determine who is and isn’t a combatant. Gaza Passage believes that task is difficult, imperfect, and costly – in lives – on the battlefield. By focusing our efforts on our one goal, we can expedite the process of gaining resources to save lives. 

Our first outreach was to people within Israel. Next, we reached out to the United States which has already begun to take action. Next, we intend to publicize to the nations of the world that they too can help. 

Our diverse and active Working Group intends to fully update the world on how we all band together to prevent the loss of civilian life in Gaza.

Please join us.

CONTACT

After connecting on LinkedIn with a message “GP Saves Lives,”

Email Coach @ gazapassage . org

Coach will take it from there. Stay tuned for more contact information.

OUTREACH ATTORNEYS

GazaPassage is seeking local attorneys in different countries to assist in our Outreach efforts to the nations of the world. If you would like to be an Outreach Coordinator for a country where you practice law, reach out to us. We promise to do the heavy lifting.

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