From:
To: Mary Gourley; City Council
Subject: City Council Comment - Ceasefire
Date: Monday, February 19, 2024 2:47:57 PM
Dear Sebastopol City Council Members,
I am writing to implore you to pass a ceasefire resolution (in relation to Gaza and Israel).
I ask this as a Jewish person whose grandparents were fortunate to escape Europe with my mother on the eve of the Holocaust, while all but one of the extended family left behind perished. I also ask as a former resident of Sebastopol and current resident of Sonoma County.
Already, over 28,000 people in Gaza have been killed, about 70% of whom are women and children. 70% of civilian infrastructure – including homes, hospitals and schools have been destroyed or severely damaged. Medical personnel, relief workers and journalists have been killed. The civilian population has been cut off from food, clean water, fuel, electricity and basic life necessities for several months now.
Our tax dollars are being spent to give Israel weapons to continue these genocidal actions.
The International Court of Justice has said it is plausible that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza.
In these circumstances, a ceasefire should not be controversial – but rather an act of basic humanity.
I, like so many other Jewish people today, am horrified by what Israel is doing. I, along with many others, are clear that Israel’s actions are not in accordance with Jewish moral beliefs.
We cry out, “NOT IN OUR NAME!”
As I write this, I am terrified that Israel is preparing to launch a horrific attack on the approximately 1.4 million Palestinians who have been driven from their homes and pushed into Rafah by Israel.
As a child, I often asked myself what I would have done if I had been a German during my grandparents’ time. I believe this may be a moment when we all have an opportunity to answer that question for ourselves.
In honor of my grandparents, and my family members murdered in the Holocaust, I ask you to pass a ceasefire resolution.
Thank you for reading,
Dianne Monroe