We, the undersigned, call upon the Ferndale City Council to publicly support an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza along with the safe release of all hostages and political prisoners; and to send a message that Ferndale stands for peace with justice, irrespective of nationalities, ethnicities, religious affiliations and borders.

The ongoing war and destruction in Gaza, though aerial bombardment, tanks and phosphorus bombs against an overwhelmingly defenseless population, has resulted in a horrifying number of civilian casualties, with over 24,620 Palestinian civilians killed. Roughly 40% of those killed have been children. This staggering death toll in Gaza accompanies the nearly 1200 killed and 200 civilians abducted during the horrific attacks in Israel by Hamas and other armed groups. Serious violations of international law, including war crimes, continue unabated in this conflict.

Israel’s current invasion and siege of Gaza, continuing on from its 16-year-long illegal blockade of the Gaza Strip, has destroyed over 58% of the infrastructure in Gaza, including homes and hospitals, internally displacing more than 1.9 million Palestinians. This dire humanitarian catastrophe has resulted in water, food, fuel, healthcare, medical supplies, and even body bags running out, according to the United Nations. That Gazans are enduring a “collective punishment” (a war crime) was made clear by the statements of the Israeli minister of defense who called Palestinians “human animals” and vowed that the siege on Gaza would involve, “No electricity, no food, no water, no fuel. Everything is closed.”

The Metro Detroit area is home to one of the largest populations of Arab and Middle Eastern populations in the United States, along with a sizable Jewish population. These are our friends, co-workers, neighbors, family and relatives, who live, work, eat, play, pray and shop as valued members of our Ferndale community. Tens of thousands of voices for peace and justice from across all communities in Metro Detroit have been calling for an immediate and permanent ceasefire, the return of all hostages, the delivery of humanitarian aid and the condemnation of all forms of Islamophobia and antisemitism.

It is time for the city of Ferndale to join these voices for peace! City council must pass a resolution calling for a durable and sustained ceasefire, and a peaceful and just resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.