Port Townsend, Washington CEASEFIRE resolution passed January 22, 2024

A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PORT TOWNSEND, WASHINGTON, CALLING FOR A CEASEFIRE IN GAZA

WHEREAS, the City of Port Townsend is comprised of "thoughtful and committed" residents who can "change the world," in Margaret Mead's words, and we have seen effects from the violence in the Middle East even in our small city; and

WHEREAS, the City Council acknowledges the complex history of the Middle East conflicts that do not lend themselves to easy solutions, its limited foreign policy expertise, and its role as a local government is not to dictate foreign policy; and

WHEREAS, the Port Townsend City Council, however, has the ability to influence Washington State's federal delegation to call for an immediate and long-term Gaza ceasefire, the safe return of all hostages and prisoners, and the delivery of adequate humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people without delay in order to prevent the potential loss of hundreds of thousands more lives; and

WHEREAS, all human life is precious, and the targeting of civilians, no matter their faith or ethnicity, is a violation of international humanitarian law; and

WHEREAS, violence begets violence, and without a plan for peace, innocent people in Gaza, Israel and the West Bank will continue to be injured and killed; and

WHEREAS, between October 7, 2023, and today, armed violence has claimed the lives of tens of thousands of Palestinian and Israeli civilians; the death toll has included Americans and children, and tens of thousands more have been wounded; and

WHEREAS, tens of thousands of bombs and munitions, some of which may have passed through Port Townsend Bay, have exploded in Gaza, whose entire area is densely populated with 2.3 million people in an area comparable in size to the Quimper Peninsula where Port Townsend is located; and

WHEREAS, the Wall Street Journal reports that as of December 31, 2023, 70% of housing in Gaza has been destroyed or damaged; Human Rights Watch reports that starvation is being used as a weapon of war; and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East warns that 40% of the population is at risk of famine; and

WHEREAS, armed violence in Gaza has destroyed hospitals, schools and universities, power and wastewater facilities, desalination plants, agricultural resources, and food factories, as a result of which diseases are spreading, malnourishment is increasing, and the population is weakening; and

WHEREAS, without immediate restoration of basic necessities, and delivery of adequate humanitarian aid without delay to the Palestinian people; hundreds of thousands of lives, especially of vulnerable children, are at imminent risk due to multiple public health crises; and WHEREAS, the United States government and our elected leaders hold immense diplomatic power to save Israeli and Palestinian lives; and

WHEREAS, this diplomatic power should be exercised to support democracy in the region, including civil rights for Palestinians, security for Israelis, and freedom from terrorism for all,

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Port Townsend that we condemn violations of international law, including both the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israeli civilians and the Israeli military's response affecting the 2.3 million Palestinian civilians (nearly half of whom are children) living in Gaza since then.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Port Townsend City Council affirms its commitment to combat Antisemitism, Islamophobia, and anti-Palestinian, anti- Arab, and anti- Israeli bigotry, its support for the people of both Israel and Palestine to live in peace and security, and the right of all people to live, learn, work, play, pray, and engage in peaceful protest, all without threats, intimidation, or death.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Port Townsend City Council will remit a copy of this resolution to the federal government urging Congress and the President to work toward an immediate ceasefire, a lasting peace, and an end of violence supported by American dollars and to urge the U.S. government to immediately stop sending arms to the warring parties and to instead send vitally necessary supplies to create the basic conditions that might make a ceasefire sustainable.

ADOPTED by the City Council of the City of Port Townsend at a special meeting thereof, held this 22nd day of January 2024.