8.08.2024 Milton Dems adopt Ceasefire Resolution

WHEREAS, all human life is precious; and

WHEREAS, Hamas, a known terrorist organization, attacked Israel on October 7, 2023 killing more than 1200 Israelis, injuring many more and taking 250 hostages; and

WHEREAS, over 30,000 Palestinians have been killed since October 7th; and whole cities and towns in Gaza have been laid waste, including civilian homes, infrastructure, schools, health facilities, stores and workplaces and public utilities; and

WHEREAS; collective punishment, the disproportionate killing of civilians and destruction of civilian habitat, and the deprivation of humanitarian assistance to such civilians are war crimes under international law; and

WHEREAS the United States is complicit in Israel's violations of international law by continuing to provide munitions used in the violations; and

WHEREAS the United States is in violation of its own laws against providing arms to a state that is simultaneously preventing the delivery of humanitarian aid; and 

WHEREAS, the current call by President Biden and our federal officials for a merely temporary ceasefire and the release of only Israeli hostages is insufficient to meet the desperate and ever-expanding need for a permanent ceasefire and immediate humanitarian assistance at the needed scale; and

WHEREAS, the United States holds immense diplomatic and economic power to save Palestinian and Israeli lives; and

WHEREAS, all elected officials must use the platform provided by their offices to advocate for measures that will end violence and prevent death;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Town of Milton Democratic Committee:

1. Condemns the killing of civilians, collective punishment, and all forms of Islamophobia and antisemitism; and

2. Calls on the Biden administration to demand and facilitate a permanent ceasefire in Gaza; and

3. Calls on the Biden administration to send and facilitate the entry of humanitarian aid to Gaza, on the scale and at the pace needed by the civilian victims; and

4. Calls for the release of all hostages and political prisoners; and

5. Calls on our elected representatives in the federal and state government to support publicly a permanent ceasefire, the entry of adequate humanitarian aid to Gaza, and the release of all hostages; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that upon passage, a copy of this Resolution shall be sent to the Saratoga County Democratic Committee and the New York State Democratic Committee.

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What is a Ceasefire Resolution?

 Municipalities throughout the country are passing resolutions to send a message to the federal government that we demand the release of the over 100 hostages held by Hamas, the release of the over 9,000 Palestinians held by Israel, and immediate humanitarian aid for Palestine.

Why should the Town of Milton Democratic Committee adopt a Ceasefire Resolution?

The Democratic Party has a strong history of big tent politics that reflect the importance of universal civil and human rights. As Democrats, we take pride in the foundational, aspirational American belief that all people deserve the right to self-determination. The Palestinian people—historically denied this right by the League of Nations, the United Nations, and the US-led post-World War II order—need the support of compassionate citizens of the world now more than ever. At this moment, the Democratic Party is being torn apart by a false dialectic that aligns ceasefire support with antisemitism. The reality is that the continuing violence increases the danger for Israelis and Palestinians—Jews, Muslims, and Christians—in the Middle East and throughout the world. By committing ourselves to a ceasefire we can send a strong message that we are the party of peace, universal rights, and self-determination, a message that can help secure victory this November.