By AFRO Employees
Baltimore, MD – On Dec. 5, greater than 40 organizations and companies representing greater than 200,000 individuals within the Baltimore space despatched a letter urging Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD), Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger (MD-02), and Rep. John Sarbanes (MD-03) to hitch a rising checklist of members of Congress calling for a right away ceasefire in Israel and Palestine.
The letter’s signatories embody main civil rights, pupil, Jewish, veteran, religion, and road violence prevention organizations.
“1000’s of Baltimoreans have made telephone calls and took part in protests towards Israel’s genocide in Palestine, and nonetheless our elected officers ignore us” mentioned Anna Evans-Goldstein, who helped coordinate the letter following a Jewish-led sit-in on the workplace of Rep. Kweisi Mfume (MD-07) that helped transfer the congressman to name for a ceasefire on November 8.
“In a time when Torah and Jewish values are being weaponized by many to name for better violence, my Jewish neighborhood and so many Jewish Marylanders uplift that our custom honors pikuach nefesh—saving a life, as a worth that supersedes all else,” mentioned Rabbi Ariana Katz, the founding rabbi of Hinenu: The Baltimore Justice Shtiebl. “Rapid ceasefire is the one method to pikuach nefesh within the face of the heinous bombardment and invasion of Gaza.”
“The catastrophic carnage, demise, and devastation in Gaza, funded by billions of U.S. tax {dollars}, is paying homage to among the darkest durations in human historical past,” mentioned Zainab Chaudry, Maryland director for the Council on American–Islamic Relations, the biggest Muslim civil liberties group within the U.S. “We’re urging members of congress to exhibit ethical braveness on this crucial second and take quick motion to assist save harmless lives by supporting a right away, everlasting ceasefire and the unrestricted movement of humanitarian help.”
“As a corporation of over 100 public faculty college students in Baltimore Metropolis, we stand unequivocally for peace and an finish to our authorities’s complicity in Israel’s indiscriminate bombardment of civilians and public infrastructure—together with numerous colleges—in Gaza,” mentioned Ethan Eblaghie, a member of the Baltimore Scholar Union.
“We want a long-lasting ceasefire and a full hostage change as step one in direction of a long-term political answer that ends occupation, apartheid, and siege and ensures equality, justice, and security for all Palestinians and Israelis,” mentioned Zackary Berger of IfNotNow Baltimore, a Jewish group devoted to ending the occupation of Palestine.
“Billions of {dollars} have been willingly offered to assist Israel’s brutal army assault on Gaza,” mentioned Ashley Hufnagel, Govt Director of United Employees. “However when it got here time to increase the pandemic period protections and advantages that minimize youngster poverty in half, decreased starvation, and stored individuals on life-saving Medicaid, there was no cash? For poor individuals in Palestine and poor individuals in America, the end result is similar—demise and distress.”
“As a citizen of the world, I perceive that oppression, trauma, and misunderstandings that result in violence painfully affect the entire of us—whereas peaceable, equitable, and humane problem-solving helps to heal the entire of us,” mentioned Erricka Bridgeford, founding father of Baltimore Peace Motion (previously Baltimore Ceasefire), which works to finish violence within the metropolis. “Please honor our humanity by calling for a ceasefire between Israel and occupied Palestine.”
“Greater than 15,000 Palestinians, virtually half of whom have been youngsters, have been killed by the Israeli army since October 7,” mentioned Ida Okay., a member of The Higher Baltimore Chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America. “We desperately urge our political representatives to signal on to official calls for for a everlasting ceasefire and put an finish to the genocide of the Palestinian individuals. We are going to preserve organizing till peace is achieved in occupied Palestine.”
Rep. Mfume stays the one Baltimore-area member of Congress to name for a ceasefire, regardless of polls displaying 80% of registered Democrats and 66% of all voters supporting one. Full Checklist of Signers: Anti-Imperialist Motion UMBC, Baltimore Abortion Fund, Baltimore Metropolis Inexperienced Celebration, Baltimore Palestine Solidarity, Baltimore Peace Motion, Baltimore Phil Berrigan Memorial Veterans For Peace, Baltimore Roundtable for Financial Democracy, Baltimore Scholar Union, Baltimore Youth Arts, Black Theology Venture, Bloom Collective, Group School of Baltimore County Muslim Scholar Affiliation, Group Play Venture, Council on American Islamic Relations Maryland, Fruit Camp Studios, Higher Baltimore Democratic Socialists of America, Higher Baltimore Residents for a Ceasefire, Hinenu: The Baltimore Justice Shtiebl, IfNotNow Baltimore, Islamic Group Heart of Laurel, Jewish Voice for Peace Baltimore, June and July Remedy, Malaya Motion Baltimore, Maryland Committee for Human Rights within the Philippines, Mera Kitchen Collective, MICA Organizers & Activists, NLife, NoMuNoMu, Our Time Kitchen, Peace Motion Baltimore, Peace Motion Maryland, Current Firm, Pink Emma’s Cooperative, College students and Labor In opposition to Police, Station North Software Library, College students for Justice in Palestine on the College of Maryland Baltimore County, Towson Freedom Faculty, Tubman Home, United Maryland Muslim Council, United Employees, Girls Main Baltimore.
