RESOLUTION NO. 240472
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Sponsor: Councilmember Eric Bunch
RESOLUTION - Calling for an immediate and permanent ceasefire and unrestricted humanitarian aid to end the ongoing violence in Palestine.
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WHEREAS, Kansas City, which according its Charter, “draws from the rich diversity among those who call Kansas City ‘home’,” is committed to fostering a community that embraces diversity, upholds the principles of equality and human rights, believes all sovereign nations, regardless of geographic context, must comply with international law, and recognizes the violation of international humanitarian law in targeting civilians, irrespective of their faith,
ethnicity, or country of origin; and
WHEREAS, the greater Kansas City area is home to an estimated 7,000 Palestinians - artists, doctors, chefs, teachers, lawyers, poets, business owners, friends, neighbors, mothers, fathers, children, and grandchildren of Palestinian origin and descent - all of whom are experiencing paralyzing levels of horror, fear, grief, dehumanization, and abandonment, inflicted by lifelong mental and physical effects of trauma, as a result of the current genocide in Gaza, as well as decades of apartheid, brutality, displacement, and violence by Zionist colonial forces and Israeli policies; and
WHEREAS, Missouri Representative Emanuel Cleaver II; more than 130 cities across the United States; including St. Louis, Missouri; Chicago, Illinois; Detroit, Michigan; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Seattle, Washington; Atlanta, Georgia; Akron, Ohio; Wilmington, Delaware; Providence, Rhode Island; San Francisco, California; and Richmond, California; international organizations like Amnesty International, the World Health Organization, and the International Rescue Committee; and 153 Member States of the United Nations during an Emergency Special Session have called for a ceasefire; and
WHEREAS, the ongoing bombardment in Gaza comes in the context of the 75-year forcible displacement of Palestinians and 56-year illegal military and settler [colonial] occupation of Gaza and the West Bank, and the 17-year blockade of Gaza; and as the International Court of Justice affirmed the plausibility that the Israeli government is committing genocide, preventing the further killing of civilians, which is a moral imperative to dignify Palestinian life in the context of the longstanding occupation; and
WHEREAS, the killing of an estimated 42,000+ Palestinians and displacement of 2 million more, attacks on refugee camps, hospitals, schools, churches, mosques, historical sites, UN facilities, and vital infrastructure required to support human life in Palestine; summary executions and targeted assassinations of Palestinians; impeded access to humanitarian aid to more than 80% of Palestinians in Gaza that are reliant on assistance; and prevention of access to shelter, medical supplies, water, fuel, food, and other basic necessities of life through the ongoing siege of Gaza by the Israeli military has caused the displacement, starvation, and death of countless Palestinians, contributing to the erasure of Palestinian life, families, communities, property, and culture, resulting in the immense suffering of innocent civilians across an entire region, including thousands of Kansas City residents with hundreds of loved ones killed and generational family homes destroyed; and
WHEREAS, millions are at imminent risk if a permanent ceasefire is not achieved and humanitarian aid is not delivered without delay; and
WHEREAS, we condemn the recent rise in anti-Palestinian racism, anti-Muslim bias, antisemitism, racism, homophobia, ableism, and xenophobia-fueled attacks and rhetoric in our city and across the nation; NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF KANSAS CITY:
Section 1. That we do hereby call for an immediate, permanent ceasefire to end the ongoing violence in Gaza; the release of all prisoners of war, hostages, and political detainees; the unrestricted entry of humanitarian assistance into Gaza, and the restoration of food, water, electricity, fuel, and medical supplies; respect for and compliance with international law and treaties; and a resolution that protects the security of all innocent civilians.
Section 2. That the Kansas City Council urges international bodies and leaders, including the United Nations, to take immediate and effective actions to ensure the enforcement of the ceasefire, the protection of civilian lives, the delivery of essential humanitarian aid through existing borders to Palestinians, and a lifting of the siege in Gaza.
Section 3. That a copy of this resolution be sent to U.S. Senator Josh Hawley, U.S. Senator Eric Schmitt, U.S. President Joe Biden, and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, urging them to take immediate action to use their position and influence to end the aggression against Palestinians throughout historic Palestine.
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