New York Dems mass letter — CEASEFIRE DEMOCRATS

On February 15, 2024 Democratic Party leaders in New York State signed the following letter:

Dear Senators Schumer and Gillibrand,

We are a group of elected Democratic Party leaders — District Leaders, State Committee Members, and County Committee Members — representing varied Assembly Districts from across New York State. Our group includes Jews, Arabs, and allies. In light of the intensifying conflict in the Gaza Strip, and the tens of thousands of innocent lives lost, we are writing today to call on you to do everything in your power as Senators to bring about an immediate and permanent ceasefire, the return of all hostages and political prisoners, and an end to state violence in Israel and Palestine. We stand with the majority of U.S. voters who want to see a ceasefire,[1] and we beseech you to represent your constituents by joining us.

The murder, kidnapping, and assault that Hamas perpetrated on innocent civilians on October 7th, 2023 was completely disgusting. There is absolutely nothing that can justify this wanton violence. We unequivocally condemn the terrorist organization that is Hamas and mourn the 1,200 lives[2] that Hamas took on that day. We stand with our Israeli neighbors as they heal from the trauma of this day. We are similarly horrified by the intensive military campaign that the Israeli government has since waged on Gaza. Schools and hospitals in Gaza have become war zones; food, water, electricity, and medicine have become scarce. The conditions in the Gaza strip have become increasingly unsustainable for human life, and represent a humanitarian catastrophe of global proportions. The loss of over 25,000 lives and the displacement of two million Palestinians is an incredible tragedy. Every single life taken is an entire world extinguished. The Israeli government has suggested that the civilian casualties are the price to be paid for eradicating Hamas, but violence always begets more violence. The death and destruction that the Israeli government has wrought on the Palestinian people will only cause more escalation and destabilization for both sides.

The impact of violence in Gaza has reverberated everywhere. This war has caused a spike in both antisemitism[3] and Islamophobia[4] worldwide, including right here in New York, because the ethnic and religious divisions perpetuated by war encourage a dehumanization of all parties involved. Isolating communities and pitting them against one another makes everyone less safe. Furthermore, the hostages currently being held captive are at a heightened danger due to the increasing escalation. This fact was made painfully clear in December when news broke that the IDF had mistakenly shot and killed three Israeli hostages.[5] In contrast, during the brief ceasefire earlier this month, 81 hostages were released back to their families.[6] We can only hope that a permanent ceasefire would allow for the release of more hostages, and an end to the unnecessary violence.

As is the case in many international wars, the United States has not played a neutral party in this conflict, rather a significant majority of Israel’s weapon imports come from the United States. To date, the State Department has approved the transfer of thousands of tanks, bombs, and other munitions to Israel[7] to fight the current war in Gaza, and President Biden has pledged to send an additional $14 billion in unconditional military aid to Israel.[8] While the cause of this war may seem a world away from New York or Washington, the reality is that we have a direct role in the seemingly endless violence in the Gaza Strip.

We as the Democratic Party have always been leaders who stand for fairness, justice, and equality, and now is not the time to falter from the ideals that make our party great. As Democratic Party leaders, we cannot stand idly by while a war, against our values and fueled by our government, is waged. Democratic voters believe that all people — Palestinians, Israelis, and New Yorkers alike — deserve to live in safety, and that the only ways to bring about safety for all are a ceasefire in the short term and a resolution to the Israeli and Palestinian conflict in the long term. Like you, we were elected by our constituents to stand up for Democratic Party values. In light of the crucial upcoming 2024 elections, we cannot afford, morally or politically, to remain silent in the face of injustice. We cannot afford to alienate important factions of our base, including young people, Arabs, and leftist Jews — the majority of whom would like to see a ceasefire and general de-escalation of U.S. military involvements abroad — on the eve of elections that will decide the very fate of our democracy. We write this letter, in part, because we know that the alternative to taking action for peace will be mass disillusionment and disengagement in politics by the very voters we need to save democracy.

As members of the United States Senate, you have both the power of the purse through the funding that our government allocates to foreign governments, and the moral influence that comes with being elected officials of the upper house in Congress. We strongly urge you, as Senators and as Democrats, to use your influence to stop the flow of weapons and military aid to Israel* and to advocate for lasting peace in the region.

*Organizers’ Note: We recognize that, in the process of gathering these signatures, bills to provide military aid to Israel are moving through Congress. Therefore, immediate permanent Ceasefire is of even more paramount imperative.

Sincerely,

State Committee Members & District Leaders

Maria Kaufer

State Committee Member, Assembly District 28, Queens County

John Scott

State Committee Member, Assembly District 34, Queens County

Shawna Morlock

District Leader, Assembly District 34, Part A, Queens County

Danielle Brecker

State Committee Member, Assembly District 36, Queens County

Brian Romero

State Committee Member, Assembly District 36, Queens County

Zachariah Boyer

District Leader, Assembly District 36, Part B, Queens County

Émilia Decaudin

District Leader & State Committee Member, Assembly District 37, Queens County

Mufazzal Hossain

District Leader, Assembly District 38, Part B, Queens County

Jacqui Painter

District Leader & State Committee Member, Assembly District 51, Kings County

Julio Peña III

District Leader & State Committee Member, Assembly District 51, Kings County

Lydia Green

District Leader & State Committee Member, Assembly District 52, Kings County

Aaron Ouyang

District Leader & State Committee Member, Assembly District 52, Kings County

Shaquana Boykin

District Leader & State Committee Member, Assembly District 57, Kings County

Jasmine Robinson

District Leader, Assembly District 61, Richmond County

Mark Hanna

District Leader & State Committee Member, Assembly District 64, Kings County

Paul Newell

District Leader, Assembly District 65 Part C, New York County

Tamika Mapp

District Leader & State Committee Member, Assembly District 68, New York County

Maria Ordoñez

State Committee Member, Assembly District 70, New York County

Mike Hogan

State Committee Member, Assembly District 96, Rockland County

Gina Ironside

State Committee Member, Assembly District 97, Rockland County

Adriana Magaña

State Committee Member, Assembly District 101, Ulster County

Mark Vian

State Committee Member, Assembly District 102, Greene County

Barbara Turpin

State Committee Member, Assembly District 108, Saratoga County

Annabel Gregg

State Committee Member, Assembly District 113, Washington County

Emily Adams

State Committee Member, Assembly District 125, Tompkins County

Robin Wilt

State Committee Member, Assembly District 136, Monroe County

County Committee Members

Ezekiel R. Torres

County Committee Member, Assembly District 3, Suffolk County

Kenneth Colón

County Committee Member, Assembly District 6, Suffolk County

Vincent Vertuccio

County Committee Member, Assembly District 7, Suffolk County

Ximena Milagros Pérez Frankel

County Committee Member, Assembly District 28, Queens County

John Kaufer

County Committee Member, Assembly District 28, Queens County

George Korpan

County Committee Member, Assembly District 28, Queens County

Patrick Hart

County Committee Member, Assembly District 42, Kings County

Nikiesha Hamilton

County Committee Member, Assembly District 43, Kings County

Jason Hill

County Committee Member, Assembly District 43, Kings County

Kendra Srebro

County Committee Member, Assembly District 43, Kings County

Corazón L. Valiente

County Committee Member, Assembly District 43, Kings County

Courtney Adrian