EXETER GREEN PARTY (EGP) EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING (EGM) 27^TH NOV 2023

PERMANENT CEASEFIRE IN GAZA

This note incorporates two motions for consideration:

• Motion 1 is a firm proposal, seeking a vote at the 27^th Nov EGM.
• Motion 2 is an initial draft of a motion, which could be submitted by at least 2 EGP councillors to the 12^th December Exeter City Council (ECC) meeting.]

Motion 1: Requesting that at least 2 EGP councillors on ECC consider submitting a motion to the 12^th Dec ECC meeting, calling for an urgent permanent ceasefire in Gaza

Proposed by Jon Ashe; seconded by Jack Vickers

This EGM:

A. notes with concern the very large number of civilian deaths and injuries in Gaza, Israel and the rest of Palestine during the past two months;

B. welcomes the fact that the national Green Party called in early-November for a ceasefire in Gaza, and also notes that a large number of other organisations have also called for a ceasefire;

C. welcomes the current temporary ceasefire in Gaza, but also notes that the Israeli military has warned that the war isn't over yet;

D. agrees that a permanent ceasefire in Gaza is needed urgently; and, therefore

E.  agrees to request that at least 2 EGP councillors on Exeter City Council (ECC) consider submitting a motion to the 12^th Dec ECC meeting, calling for an urgent permanent ceasefire in Gaza.

[End of Motion 1]

Motion 2: Initial draft of a possible motion for the 12th Dec Exeter City Council (ECC) meeting, calling for an urgent permanent ceasefire in Gaza

[Note: Motion 2 is an initial draft of a possible motion for the 12^th Dec ECC meeting. This draft of Motion 2 can be discussed at the EGM. However, it isn’t necessary to agree the final wording of Motion 2 on 27th Nov. Instead, it could be finalised during the following 7-10 days, to take account of the latest developments relating to Gaza. This initial draft of Motion 2 is based on the motion passed by Sheffield City Council (SCC) on 1^st Nov, which in turn was based on the motion originally submitted to SCC by Sheffield Green Party councillors.]

URGENT PERMANENT CEASEFIRE IN GAZA
Proposed by Cllr X; seconded by Cllr Y

This Council:

1. notes:

(i) that East Jerusalem, the West Bank, the Golan Heights and Gaza are illegally occupied by Israel; and that Gaza has been subject to 16 years of blockade;

(ii) that the Israeli Government has been withholding essential resources from Gaza and what UN Experts have described as “destroying or damaging homes, hospitals, markets and UN Reliefs and Works Agency (UNRWA)” and that Amnesty International has “documented unlawful Israeli attacks, including indiscriminate attacks, which caused mass civilian casualties and must be investigated as war crimes”;

(iii) Save The Children have highlighted that the number of children reported killed in Gaza in the last three weeks has surpassed the annual number of children killed across the world’s conflict zones since 2019;

(iv) that under Article II of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, genocide is defined as certain acts “committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group” and that, under Article I, the UK has confirmed that genocide is a crime under international law which it undertakes to prevent and to punish;

(v) Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, B’tselem and the South African government recognise that the Israeli Government is enacting a system of apartheid;

2. deeply regrets and condemns the tragic loss of civilian life in both the Hamas terrorist attacks on the 7th of October and the ensuing bombardment of the Gaza strip by Israel;

3. notes that these horrific events have had a huge effect on some Exeter citizens, in particular those with relatives and friends in the region;

4. calls for the immediate release of all of the remaining Israeli hostages;

5. believes:

(i) there can be no justification for the loss of innocent lives, and all atrocities committed against civilians must be condemned and investigated;

(ii) that Hamas’ appalling murder of civilians in Israel must be unequivocally condemned, and we continue to call for the safe release of all hostages;

(iii) that the Israeli Government’s indiscriminate killing of Palestinian civilians must be unequivocally condemned;

(iv) all forms of racism, including anti-Palestinian racism, antisemitism and Islamophobia have no place in our city and condemns any attacks on Palestinian, Jewish or Muslim people;

(v) Sir Keir Starmer was wrong to say, in an interview with LBC radio, that Israel “does have that right” to withhold food, water and electricity from Gaza, and he should apologise and retract this statement supporting collective punishment;

(vi) we must not allow these tragic events to divide our communities at home, and we understand and feel the pain of all people in Exeter, especially the Muslim, Jewish and Christian communities;

(vii) all political leaders have a responsibility to try to prevent genocide;

(viii) all UK political leaders must call upon the Israeli Government to ensure enough food, water, medicine and electricity is provided to Gaza, that there must be clear humanitarian corridors, and that all actors must follow and be held accountable under international law;

(ix) every effort must be made by the international community to make a twostate solution a reality, which requires a commitment to a formal peace process, an end to the occupation and for all parties to follow international law, in order to bring peace to the region;

(x) that where Palestinians are forced to flee, they must not be permanently displaced from their homes, and calls on the UK Government to use all available pressure to ensure this;

(xi) any state has a right to protect its citizens from attacks and terror, subject to international law;

(xii) there is ultimately no military solution to this conflict;

(xiii) innocent Palestinians must not pay the price for Hamas atrocities; and

(xiv) the world has a duty to prevent civilian deaths;

6. condemns the earlier decision by Israel to cut off essential supplies of water, food, and electricity, to the 2.2m residents of the Gaza strip;

7. welcomes the recent temporary ceasefire in Gaza, but also notes that the Israeli military has warned that the war isn't over yet;

8. condemns all hate crime against Palestinians, Israelis, Jewish or Muslim people;

9. affirms its support for a two state solution and a lasting peace, which will allow the people of Israel and Palestine to live free from fear; and

10. therefore resolves to:

(i) call upon the UK Government to:

(A) call for an urgent permanent ceasefire in Gaza, in order to facilitate an intense period of diplomacy, bring humanitarian aid into Gaza, and provide an opportunity to seek the immediate release of any remaining Israeli hostages;

(B) cease all arms sales to Israel and end military aid for Israel; and

(C) make every effort to resume the peace process

(ii) request the Chief Executive of the Council to submit this motion to the UK Government.