From:
To: City Council; Mary Gourley
Cc: Sandra Maurer; Jill McLewis; Neysa Hinton; Stephen Zollman; Diana Rich Subject: Withdrawn Agenda Item 4- Cease Fire Resolution-SUPPORT Date: Tuesday, February 20, 2024 2:28:29 PM
Dear City Staff and Council,
I am writing to add my voice to the urgent requests for a permanent Ceasefire Resolution in Gaza. I consider myself a member of Sebastopol's community, despite being just outside city limits. My son goes to school in Sebastopol and it is important to me that he be raised in a community that stands up for human rights when and where those rights are being violated.
Sebastopol has done so before and is known as Peace Town. The suffering of the Palestinian people has been live-streamed 24/7, for 137 days. As of today, the number of fatalities in Gaza exceeds 29,000, with so many more buried under rubble or otherwise unaccounted for. 65% of the civilians killed in Gaza are women and children, and thousands more permanently disabled and suffering from starvation. UNICEF estimates that at least 17,000 children in Gaza are orphaned or separated from parents. All of the 2.4 million residents in Gaza are facing not only a constant threat of death or injury, but also an ever increasing threat of starvation and sickness. The evidence is available everywhere if one is willing to see it, for instance:
01/10/24 Gaza's children mourn parents killed by Israeli bombardment, https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/gazas-children-mournparents-killed-by-israeli-bombardment-2024-01-10/ 01/30/24 Injured, hungry and alone - the Gazan children orphaned by war, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-68141039 02/15/24‘He was nameless’: Orphaned children lose family, identity in Gaza, https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2024/2/15/he-was-nameless-orphanedchildren-lose-family-identity-in-gaza 02/19/24More than 29,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since war’s start, health ministry says, https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/more-than-29000- palestinians-have-been-killed-in-gaza-since-wars-start-health-ministry-says 02/20/24 UN: Child Deaths in Gaza Set to Surge if Israel's War and Blockade Continue, https://truthout.org/articles/un-child-deaths-in-gaza-set-to-surge-if-israelswar-and-blockade-continue/ Over 50 municipalities nationwide have called for an end to the siege on Gaza.It is never too late to stand up for humanity, and I encourage you to bring this resolution back as soon as possible.The adopted Cotati resolution is balanced in that it calls for an end to all killing.
Please join your sister City, and please listen to and heed the call of your Palestinian and Jewish community members, of your constituents and West County residents. These resolutions call for peace and are brought forward with peace, heartache and love. Please do not let outside organizations that oppose these measures across CA and the US, with the same talking points, keep you from doing what this moment calls for.
The history of this time is heavy. I hope that those of us not physically subjected to this tremendous suffering, are able to look back at our actions during this time without regret. You are in a position to lead in this regard, and I know that if you approach this from a position of peace and love for humanity, for animals, and for land, you will bring back and adopt a Cease Fire Resolution as soon as you can.
Sincere Regards,
Margaret DeMatteo
"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."- Dr.
Martin Luther King, Jr.