HomeMy WebLinkAbout72 23 STATE OF WASHINGTON
County of Jefferson
IN THE MATTER OF SUPPORTING }
A LONG-TERM END TO VIOLENCE, } RESOLUTION NO. 72-23
WARFARE AND INDISCRIMINATE }
BOMBING IN ISRAEL AND OCCUPIED }
PALESTINE, THE RETURN OF ALL }
HOSTAGES, AND THE DELIVERY OF }
HUMANITARIAN AID; AND }
AFFIRMING OPPOSITION TO }
ANTISEMITISM AND ISLAMOPHOBIA }
WHEREAS, all human life is precious, and the targeting of civilians, no matter their
faith or ethnicity, is a violation of international humanitarian law;
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;
WHEREAS, between October 7 and December 18, 2023, armed violence has
claimed the lives of approximately 20,000 Palestinians (which includes thousands of
children)and over 1,200 Israelis. The death toll has included Americans, and tens of
thousands more have been wounded;
WHEREAS, as of December 16th, the Israeli military is estimated to have dropped
29,000 munitions on Gaza(according to The Economist), whose entire area is densely
populated and with 2.3 million people in an area comparable in size to the Quimper
Peninsula;
WHEREAS, the Secretary General of the United Nations reported on December 8th,
2023 that 60%of housing in Gaza has been destroyed or damaged;
WHEREAS, armed violence has destroyed hospitals, schools and universities, power
and waste water facilities, desalination plants, agricultural resources and food factories, as a
result of which diseases are spreading, malnourishment is increasing and the population is
weakening;
WHEREAS,hundreds of thousands of lives are at imminent risk due to public health
crises, especially vulnerable children, without immediate restoration of basic necessities,
and delivery of adequate humanitarian aid without delay to the Palestinian people;
WHEREAS,the United States government and our elected leaders hold immense
diplomatic power to save Israeli and Palestinian lives;
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;
WHEREAS, the Jefferson County Board of County Commissioners has the ability to
influence Washington State's federal delegation to call for an immediate long-term end to
indiscriminate bombing, the safe return of all hostages, and the delivery of adequate
humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people without delay in order to prevent the loss of
hundreds of thousands more lives;
WHEREAS, Antisemitism, Islamophobia, and anti-Palestinian/anti-Arab bigotry
have risen significantly across the United States, and around the world in the past 9 weeks;
WHEREAS, all of these forms of bigotry, violence, and oppression serve to divide
our communities and weaken our efforts to achieve collective safety,justice, and true multi-
ethnic, multi-racial democracy here and everywhere;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE JEFFERSON COUNTY
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS THAT: We condemn violations of
international law, including both the attack on October 7, 2023 by Hamas, and the Israeli
military's response on the 2.3 million Palestinian people living in Gaza(nearly half of
whom are children) since then.
FURTHER, The BOCC will remit a copy of this resolution to our federal delegation
to request that Congress take a position for an end to indiscriminate violence that is
supported by American dollars and instead send vitally necessary supplies so as to create the
basic conditions that might make a ceasefire sustainable.ad
LASTLY, the Jefferson County Board of County Commissioners affirms its
commitment to combat Antisemitism, Islamophobia, and anti-Palestinian/anti-Arab 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.
APPROVED AND ADOPTED this 18th day of December, 2023,
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Carolyn (t allaway, CMC
Clerk of the Board
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