The following text is the finalized language for the Santa Ana Resolution in Solidarity with the Palestinian People in Support of a Ceasefire. Please reach out to us if you have any questions or suggested amendments to the language being presented:
WHEREAS, the City of Santa Ana stands in solidarity with the Palestinian people and the international community in calling for a ceasefire to bring an end to the violence in Israel and occupied Palestine.
WHEREAS, on October 7th, 2023, Hamas launched an unprecedented attack on the state of Israel that resulted in the killing of an estimated 1,200 Israeli citizens; a devastating attack that shook the international community;
WHEREAS, in response, the state of Israel launched a relentless and ongoing campaign of air strikes on the people of Gaza, killing tens of thousands of civilians in the occupied territory, with the death toll continuing to rise with each passing day; WHEREAS, as of November 14th, 5 weeks into this most recent escalation between Israel and occupied Palestine, more than 14,854 Palestinians have been killed as a result of air strikes, including 6,150 children, and over 1,000 people buried beneath the rubble, according to recent reports;
WHEREAS, in addition to the killing of innocent civilians, Israel’s bombardment has destroyed entire neighborhoods throughout Gaza, displacing an estimated 1.6 million Palestinians, according to UN reports;
WHEREAS, Gaza is one of the most densely populated places on Earth, with an overwhelming majority of Gazans being young people, 65% under the age of 24, 47% under the age of 18, and the median age for men and women being 18 years old, compared to a median age of 38 years old here in the US;
WHEREAS, prior to the recent escalation, the Gaza Strip was described by human rights organization such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and the Israeli human rights organization B’Tselem as “the world’s largest open-air prison”; WHEREAS, Gaza is known as “the world’s largest open-air prison” due to ongoing, unbearable living conditions imposed by the state of Israel’s 16 year illegal blockade, which includes 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; WHEREAS, this blockade has resulted in a multitude of humanitarian struggles for Palestinians; WHEREAS, 80% of the population in Gaza relies on humanitarian aid, 63% of Palestinians have too little food, 60% of preschool-aged children in Gaza are anemic, 96% of the water in Gaza is undrinkable, and Gazans cannot count on more than 12 hours of continuous electrical power a day, all this before the recent siege;
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;
WHEREAS, the state of Israel is engaging in collective punishment against the Palestinian people in Gaza in response to the attack by Hamas;
WHEREAS, in addition to the ongoing air strike campaign, Israel has cut off food, fuel, water, and medical supplies from reaching the people of Gaza, creating a humanitarian catastrophe; WHEREAS, the United Nations defines ethnic cleansing as “a purposeful policy designed by one ethnic or religious group to remove by violent and terror-inspiring means the civilian population of another ethnic or religious group from certain geographic areas”; WHEREAS, Israeli American scholar Omer Bartov, one of the world’s leading experts on the Holocaust, has pointed to statements made by Israeli political leaders and military leaders, such as speaking about flattening Gaza, referring to the people of Gaza as “human animals,” and announcing plans to move the entire population of Gaza out of Gaza, as evidence of “a clear intention of ethnic cleansing” on the part of the Israeli government; WHEREAS, On November 16, 2023, the United Nations called on the international community to prevent genocide against the Palestinian people;
WHEREAS, in addition to the violence that we have seen in Israel and Gaza, Amnesty International has reported an escalation in violence in the West Bank, the Palestinian territory along the Jordan River, where as of November 27th, nearly 239Palestinians, including over 40 children, have been killed by Israeli military and illegal Israeli settlers since October 7th; WHEREAS, we mourn the loss of all civilian lives lost on both sides from October 7th to the present and also throughout the decades of displacement, occupation, oppression and blockade endured in Gaza and the West Bank;
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, hundreds of thousands of lives are at imminent risk if a permanent cease-fire is not achieved and adequate humanitarian aid is not delivered to the people of Gaza without delay; WHEREAS, the United States government plays a significant role in facilitating the ongoing violence happening in Israel and occupied Palestine;
WHEREAS, the United States provides significant financial support to the Israeli government, with an approximate $3.8 billion in taxpayer dollars going to the state of Israel every year, as part of a $38 billion deal over 10 years signed under former US President Barack Obama in 2016;
WHEREAS, on November 2, 2023, a bill authorizing an additional $14 billion to be sent to Israel during this conflict recently passed the House of Representatives and is expected to receive bipartisan support in the Senate, offering more financial support to the state of Israel while depriving American citizens of money that could be more appropriately used to address urgent needs here at home; WHEREAS, in addition to financial assistance, the United States government supports Israel through the sale of weapons and ammunition, with US weapons manufacturers such as Raytheon, Lockheed Martin, and Boeing projecting surges in their stock prices as the assault on Gaza continues to escalate;
WHEREAS, the state of Israel would not be able to continue their bombardment campaign on the people of Gaza without enormous financial and military aid provided by the United States every year;
WHEREAS, in recent weeks, multiple high-ranking US officials have resigned from their posts, including Josh Paul, the former director of congressional and public affairs for the state department’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, who resigned last month to protest continued arms sales to Israel amid its bombardment of Gaza, writing in a letter that one-sided U.S. support for Israel is “shortsighted,” “destructive” and “contradictory,” adding, “We cannot be for a better world while contributing to one that is materially worse”;
WHEREAS, as Israel’s most powerful ally, the United States government holds immense diplomatic power to save Israeli and Palestinian lives and should exercise that influence with Israel and the international community to negotiate an end to the violence, including the safe return of the Israeli and Palestinian hostages, and an end to the apartheid occupation imposed by Israel on the Palestinian people; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City of Santa Ana takes seriously the entreaty of “Never Again,” and that the historical memory of the Holocaust requires us to speak out when we see atrocities being committed against innocent people, no matter their identity; BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City of Santa Ana vows to combat anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, racism and bigotry in all its forms;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City of Santa Ana calls for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and the safe passage of substantial humanitarian aid to Gaza; BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City of Santa Ana calls for the immediate release of all Israeli hostages taken by Hamas, as well as the Palestinian hostages being held by the Israeli government without charge or trial;
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City of Santa Ana calls for an end to Israeli apartheid and the occupation and blockade of Palestinian land by Israeli military forces; BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City of Santa Ana opposes all existing and any future military aid to Israel;
FINALLY, BE IT RESOLVED that the City of Santa Ana 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.
The organizations cosponsoring this resolution include:
Arab-American Anti-Discrimination Committee
Arab American Caucus, CDP
Arab American Civic Council
Yalla Indivisible
Al-Awda Palestinian Right of Return Coalition
Council on American Islamic Relations - California
OC Justice for Palestine
Palestinian American Women’s Association of Southern California Chispa
Orange County Rapid Response Network
Latinx Parenting
Jewish Voice for Peace - LA
If Not Now - LA
People’s Budget Orange County (PBOC)
Peace and Justice Law Center
Transformative Justice OC (TJOC)
Stop The Musick Coalition (STM Coalition)
Decarcerate OC
OC Justice Initiative
OC Protests Community Coalition
Some attachments you may want to include in the resolution:
Resolution Affirming Richmond's Support and Solidarity with the Palestinian People of Gaza House Resolution 786 Calling for an immediate deescalation and cease-fire in Israel and occupied Palestine
Report published by Amnesty International on October 20th: Damning evidence of war crimes as Israeli attacks wipe out entire families in Gaza
Report published by the UN Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner on November 2nd:
Gaza is ‘running out of time’ UN experts warn, demanding a ceasefire to prevent genocide