NY-5 for Ceasefire

US Representative Gregory Meeks

Congressman Gregory Meeks is the ranking member and former chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and his support for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza would be an immense step in lasting peace in the region. This letter was written by a group of Congressman Meek's constituents, "Rockaway for Ceasefire Now."

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This Petition is co-sponsored by: Desis Rising Up and Moving (DRUM), Majlis Al-Shura: Islamic Leadership Council of New York, Muslim Democratic Club of NY, Queens College Students for Justice in Palestine, Rockaway Islamic Center, New York Working Families Party - Queens Chapter, Council on American Islamic Relations - NY

To: US Representative Gregory Meeks
From: [Your Name]

Dear Congressman Meeks,

We, the undersigned constituents of New York's Fifth Congressional District, urge you to sign onto Resolution H.Res. 786: Calling for an immediate de-escalation and cease-fire in Israel and occupied Palestine.

We are residents who represent diverse communities, origins, and backgrounds in your district. We mourn and are pained by the loss of innocent lives. We do not condone the killings of any civilians by any group.

As your constituents, we want to express our grave concerns over US support of Israel’s indiscriminate, relentless bombardment of Gaza. Israel’s military offensive has violated international laws: collective punishment, using white phosphorus, cutting water, food, and fuel, and attacking civilians. Hospitals, schools, and refugee camps–places that should not be military targets–have been bombed by the more than 70,000 weapons that the US government has provided Israel.

We reject the use of our tax money to fund the atrocities against Palestinians. As of the time this letter was written, close to 20,000 Palestinians have been murdered, out of which 7,000 were children. There are only 18 functioning hospitals, down from 36. There is no more pain medication. More than 60% of buildings in Gaza have been destroyed, and most of the 2.3 million people in Gaza have been displaced. People are now dying of untreated injuries, and with the food and water system completely collapsed, more will die from hunger soon.

We need to spare civilians from more suffering. No child should listen to the sounds of bombing and explosions all night. No place on earth should be called “ a graveyard for children.”

We implore you to please act now. We look to your leadership to achieve an immediate permanent ceasefire in Gaza and other Occupied Palestinian Territories as the first necessary step. The path to lasting peace in Israel and Palestine requires an end to Israeli occupation of Palestine.

The United States should confront the moral imperative of stopping the humanitarian catastrophe that it has funded. Our collective humanity demands your action. Please sign onto Resolution H.Res. 786 today.

Sincerely,
SIGN YOUR NAME

Clarification notice: An earlier version of this letter said “Israeli occupied territories” and “in the region”. It was changed to “Occupied Palestinian Territories” and “Israel and Palestine” for further clarification on December 10, 2023.