As residents of Tacoma, we call upon our City Council to take decisive action to address the crisis of human rights violations and war crimes in Palestine, as local governments in nearby Seattle, Olympia, Bellingham, and San Juan and Jefferson counties have already done. We urge the City Council to pass a resolution that calls for an immediate and permanent ceasefire; unrestricted entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza; an end to long-standing U.S. military aid to Israel; and an end to Israeli apartheid and the occupation and blockade of Palestinian land.

The Israeli military’s brutal bombardment of Gaza has killed at least 31,490 Palestinians since the attacks on October 7, 2023 in which 1,139 Israeli lives were lost. At least 81,439 more Palestinians have been injured or are missing.* In defiance of international law, the Israeli military has engaged in targeted bombing of Palestinian hospitals, residences, UN refugee centers, schools and universities, places of worship, and escape routes, creating a catastrophic situation. The overwhelming majority of Gazans are presently at risk of starving. The current crisis is unfolding against a historical backdrop of forced displacement and dispossession of Palestinians during and after the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948, and in the context of an ongoing occupation.

Please lend your voice to this urgent call for the Tacoma City Council to demonstrate its commitment to human rights by passing a resolution that:

1. Urges the Biden Administration and U.S. Congress to call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire and unrestricted entry of humanitarian assistance into Gaza;

2. Calls for the restoration of access to basic necessities like food, water, electricity, and medical services to the Gazan people;

3. Denounces U.S. complicity in Israel’s military campaign in Gaza and the West Bank and calls for an end to all U.S. military aid to Israel, including military aid that moves through the Port of Tacoma;

4. Calls for an end to Israeli apartheid and acts of genocide against the Palestinian people, which violate international law; and affirms the Palestinian rights to self-determination, sovereignty, and refugee return that are recognized in United Nations Resolution 3236;

5. Affirms the City of Tacoma’s commitment to support all of its residents and condemn anti-Arab racism, antisemitism, Islamophobia, and all forms of racism, xenophobia, and discrimination.

As constituents, let’s tell our representatives that we believe the City of Tacoma has an obligation to take a principled stand against injustice and promote a world rooted in compassion, equality, and respect for human rights.

*These were the latest death, injury, and missing tolls as of March 16, 2024.