Cudahy, California CEASEFIRE resolution passed on November 7, 2023

A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CUDAHY, CALIFORNIA AFFIRMING THE CITY’S SUPPORT AND SOLIDARITY WITH THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE OF GAZA AND SUPPORT REP. CORY BUSH’S CONGRESSIONAL RESOLUTION CALLING FOR AN IMMEDIATE DE-ESCALATION AND CEASE-FIRE IN ISRAEL AND OCCUPIED PALESTINE

WHEREAS, 1,400 Israelis were killed by Hamas on October 7th and nearly 8,000 Palestinians, including over 3,000 children, have been killed by the state of Israel in this escalated conflict; and

WHEREAS, the City of Cudahy (“City”) mourns the loss of all civilian lives lost from October 7th to the present and also throughout the decades of displacement, occupation, oppression, and blockade endured in Gaza and the West Bank; and

WHEREAS, the City stands in solidarity with the Palestinian people of Gaza, who are currently facing collective punishment by the state of Israel; and

WHEREAS, collective punishment is considered a war crime under international law, and refers to a form of sanction imposed on persons or a group of persons in response to a crime committed by one of them or a member of the group; and

WHEREAS, the state of Israel is engaging in collective punishment against the Palestinian people in Gaza in response to Hamas attacks on Israel; and

WHEREAS, this collective punishment of the Palestinian people includes shutting off all access to electricity, drinking water, food, and humanitarian aid; and

WHEREAS, the UN says approximately 2 million people in Gaza may soon run out of drinking water and all medical care; and

WHEREAS, the Gaza Strip, one of the most densely populated places on Earth, has been repeatedly referred to by human rights groups as “the world’s largest open-air prison” even prior to this conflict; and

WHEREAS, Gaza is known as “the world’s largest open-air prison” due to ongoing, unbearable living conditions imposed by the state of Israel, including a full air, land and sea blockade, enclosure of its borders by concrete walls and barbed wire fences, and the strict prohibition of Palestinians from leaving and entering the territory freely; and

WHEREAS, this blockade on Gaza has caused a 42% unemployment rate, while 84% of the population relies on humanitarian aid, 41% of Palestinians have too little food, 60% of Palestinian children are anemic, and the Gazan population cannot count on more than 2-4 hours of continuous electrical power a day; and

WHEREAS, prior to this current water shortage, only 1% of Gaza population has access to safe drinking water, leaving Gaza’s population – half of whom are children – increasingly vulnerable to waterborne diseases, infections, and dehydration; and

WHEREAS, hundreds of thousands of lives are at imminent risk if a cease-fire is not achieved and humanitarian aid is not delivered without delay; and

WHEREAS, the Federal Government holds immense diplomatic power to save Israeli and Palestinian lives.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, DETERMINED AND ORDERED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CUDAHY, CALIFORNIA, AS FOLLOWS:

RESOLVED, that the City of Cudahy takes seriously the entreaty of “Never Again,” and that the historical memory of the Holocaust means fighting ethnic cleansing and apartheid everywhere; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the City of Cudahy vows to combat antisemitism and ethno-nationalism in all its forms; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the City of Cudahy calls for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and the safe passage of substantial humanitarian aid to Gaza; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the City of Cudahy calls for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and the safe passage of substantial humanitarian aid to Gaza; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the City of Cudahy calls for the immediate release of all Israeli hostages taken by Hamas; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the City of Cudahy calls for an end to Israeli apartheid and the occupation and blockade of Palestinian land by Israeli military forces; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the City of Cudahy endorses the Congressional Resolution submitted by Representatives Cori Bush (MO-01), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), André Carson (IN-07), Summer Lee (PA-12), and Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03), alongside Representatives Jamaal Bowman (NY-16), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-04), Jonathan Jackson (IL-01), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), and Nydia Velázquez (NY-07) and urges our Congressional Representative, Rep. Robert Garcia, and California’s Congressional delegation to vote in support of the resolution.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the City Council directs the City Manager or his designee to immediately distribute this Resolution upon its adoption to the offices of Senator Alex Padilla (CA), Representatives Robert Garcia (CA-42), Cori Bush (MO-01), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), André Carson (IN-07), Summer Lee (PA-12), and Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03), alongside Representatives Jamaal Bowman (NY-16), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), Jesús “Chuy” García (IL-04), Jonathan Jackson (IL-01), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Ilhan Omar (MN- 05), Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), and Nydia Velázquez (NY-07).

FINALLY, BE IT RESOLVED, that the City of Cudahy advocates for the dignity and safety of residents in every community, regardless of what crimes its leadership may commit, and that peaceful diplomacy is the only way to achieve this safety and dignity.

PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED by the City Council of the City of Cudahy at its regular meeting on this 7th day of November 2023.