|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
In response to mounting community pressure, the Birmingham City Council has officially passed a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. This decision, lauded by various advocacy groups, signifies Birmingham’s alignment with over 100 U.S. cities taking a stance on this international issue.
At a May 15 demonstration, Abdo Mutlaq led chants into a megaphone, embodying the local fervor for the cause. Jared Margulies, a representative of Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) – Central Alabama, credited the success to a dedicated Palestinian-led coalition. “We celebrate that Birmingham has taken a stand and joined over 100 US cities in calling for a ceasefire. This is the result of months of hard work by a diverse, Palestinian-led coalition,” Margulies stated. However, he expressed dissatisfaction with the resolution’s scope, noting, “The resolution neither recognizes the decades of suffering of the Palestinian people in Gaza before October 7th nor firmly denounces Israel’s ongoing genocidal actions.”
Similarly, the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) shared their mixed feelings. Colin Randall, a member of Birmingham DSA’s Palestine Working Group, remarked, “While we’re happy the City Council passed a call for a ceasefire in Gaza, it’s disappointing that this resolution comes nine months after Israel’s genocidal campaign began and took months of community members speaking up while the death toll in Gaza has skyrocketed. That said, we’re proud of the community members and the local solidarity movement for showing up, speaking out, and calling for an immediate ceasefire and an end to U.S. funding for this deadly genocide.”
The full text of the resolution, sent to coalition members on July 16th, is provided below.
A resolution to express the Birmingham City Council’s support for an immediate cessation of hostilities in Israel and Gaza, initiated by the Hamas terror attack of October 7th, and also the release of all hostages, and increased humanitarian aid and essential services for the people of Gaza.**
WHEREAS, the City of Birmingham is widely known as the birthplace of nonviolent human rights campaigns during the Civil Rights movement and continues to be a beacon for upholding human rights worldwide; and
WHEREAS, the Birmingham City Council recognizes the urgency of the Israeli-Hamas conflict and the need for immediate action, while also noting the principle of international law in self-defense; and
WHEREAS, the Birmingham City Council expresses concern over the ongoing violence and its potential for further escalation in the region; and
WHEREAS, the Birmingham City Council condemns antisemitism, Islamophobia, and anti-Arab sentiments; as well as the tragic loss of innocent civilian lives and the acute humanitarian crisis; and
WHEREAS, the Birmingham City Council affirms that there is no military solution, no solution via terror or war, and that only diplomacy can lead to a lasting peace, based on common interests and human rights.
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA, that we stand united with a growing number of U.S. cities in an earnest plea for immediate cessation of hostilities encompassing all parties involved in the ongoing Israeli-Hamas conflict.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Birmingham City Council strongly urges the swift and secure exchange of all hostages and urges the Biden Administration to call for a sustained, bilateral cessation of hostilities and the immediate provision of humanitarian assistance in Gaza at the scale required.
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that in unflinching alignment with our commitment to the principles of international law and human rights, the Birmingham City Council calls on both sides to conscientiously abide by these norms, to promote a just and lawful resolution to the conflict.
Presented this 17th day of July 2024
Recommended By: Councilor Valerie A. Abbott
