Res. No. 216
Resolution calling for an evenhanded policy in the Middle East and a halt to the killings of innocent Palestinians and Israelis; calling upon the City Council to serve as facilitators of peace and not to appear to take sides in the conflict; recognizing that just as the Council supports Israel's right to exist with safe and secure borders, so too must the Council support Palestinian self-determination and the creation of a Palestinian state; and emphatically stating that only through dialogue and peaceful negotiation can these historic conflicts be resolved.
By Council Members Barron, Clarke, Foster, Reed, Seabrook and Vann
Whereas, In recent months, the world has looked on in horror and disbelief as an escalating spiral of violence between Israelis and Palestinians has claimed countless lives on both sides; and
Whereas, As the long simmering conflict and age-old resentments are replayed on the current world stage by a new generation, the modern weapons of choice have made the conflict fiercer and more lethal, capable of causing greater brutality and bloodshed with lesser effort; and
Whereas, While both sides have valid grievances and demands, reliance on irrational means of violence and terror have only served to further distance both sides from attaining their ultimate goals; and
Whereas, As Israel's right to exist should be honored, so too should the right of Palestine to freely exist be accorded similar respect and deference, while the methods employed to attain both of these objectives should consist of diplomacy and peaceful negotiation; and
Whereas, As the ongoing conflict becomes increasingly savage and extreme, cries for peaceful resolution cannot be permitted to be drowned out; and
Whereas, Innocent men, women and children are slaughtered seemingly everyday, guilty merely of freely going about their business in their communities, activities that we so often take for granted but which are fraught with danger and risk for those living in fear in the Middle East; and
Whereas, As the futile and frustrating cycle of attack and retaliation persists, Israelis and Palestinians only serve to hurt the cause they claim to be furthering while the pursuit of peace becomes ever more elusive; and
Whereas, As the ongoing bloodshed continues and more senselessly abbreviated lives are mourned by grieving families, the communities become increasingly demoralized and distrustful, planting the seeds of hostility and resentment in future generations; and
Whereas, The people of the City of New York, both as fellow victims of terrorism and as compassionate and sympathetic witnesses to the suffering that has been endured on both sides of the struggle, express their solidarity with victims of Middle East violence and their families, while strongly calling for an end to the fear and terror through renewed and ambitious efforts towards peace and diplomacy; now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls for an evenhanded policy in the Middle East and a halt to the killings of innocent Palestinians and Israelis; calls upon the City Council to serve as facilitators of peace and not to appear to take sides in the conflict; recognizes that just as the Council supports Israel's right to exist with safe and secure borders, so too must the Council support Palestinian self-determination and the creation of a Palestinian state; and emphatically states that only through dialogue and peaceful negotiation can these historic conflicts be resolved.