Dear Councilmembers,
I am writing to call upon the longstanding spirit of activism and social justice that breathes in the heart of Berkeley, urging you to draft and pass a formal resolution in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, who are being subject to ethnic cleansing and genocide by the Israeli state backed by the United States. This resolution should:
1- Demand an immediate CEASEFIRE.
2- Demand immediate safe passage for substantial humanitarian aid to Gazans who have little to no food, water, fuel or medical supplies to save the almost 20,000 Palestinians injured (at the time of this writing);
3- Call for an immediate end to all existing and any future U.S. military aid and support to Israel; US taxpayer dollars that go to Israel in the form of $3.8 billion in military “aid” per year are being used to further harm and kill Palestinians.
4 - Call for an end to Israeli apartheid, the siege, the occupation and blockade of Palestinian land by Israeli military forces; and the systematic harassment of the Palestinian people, including stealing of land, burning of farms, and regular arrests of ordinary civilians.
5 - Call for the immediate release of the approximately 3000 Palestinians who have been arrested in Israel (about 1500 people), including in Jerusalem, and the West Bank (another 1500 people) since Oct. 7th and the approximately 220 Israeli hostages held by Hamas.
Already, over 8000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli airstrikes, with more than half of these being women and children. The numbers of displaced Palestinians with no homes to return to, could be as high as half a million people.
Berkeley, with its illustrious legacy of pioneering social justice movements, holds a responsibility to be at the vanguard of national calls for justice. Berkeley has been the crucible where powerful movements were forged; from the Free Speech Movement of the 1960s, to being one of the first cities in the US to divest from companies doing business with the apartheid regime in South Africa. These histories reflect our enduring commitment to global justice and liberation, and advocacy for the voiceless and oppressed.
On Tuesday, October 24, our neighbors at the Richmond City Council exemplified moral leadership by passing a resolution standing against genocide in Gaza, making it the first U.S. city to stand on the right side of history on this critical issue. Inspired by their boldness, it is imperative that Berkeley continues its anti-apartheid and anti settler colonialism legacy by standing against the shadows of genocidal apartheid regimes.
Thank you for your attention and commitment to making a difference.
Sincerely,