We urge you, as an Asheville constituent, to take immediate action to urge your city council to pass a resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. Add your name to this petition to endorse the below resolution.

Being that the U.S. is funding Israel's genocidal campaign, supplying Israel with weapons, and protecting Israel from international intervention amidst this genocide- silence at any level of our government is complicity. We should expect our most local representatives, our most immediate connection to government, to use their platforms to join other local governments across the U.S. in uplifting the humanitarian call for an immediate ceasefire in Palestine, and an end to the occupation, which is the only path towards peace for all people involved.

Below is the resolution we demand of Asheville City Council, written by Anne Craig. 

Resolution Calling for a Ceasefire in Gaza

Whereas, a representative in Congress represents over 650,000 people.

Whereas, local elected officials in the United States take an oath of office promising to support the U.S. Constitution,

Whereas, representing constituents to higher levels of government is part of that oath.

Whereas, cities, towns, and counties routinely and properly send petitions to Congress for all kinds of requests, allowed under Clause 3, Rule XII, Section 819, of the Rules of the House of Representatives.

Whereas, in 1967 a court in California ruled (Farley v. Healey , 67 Cal.2d 325) in favor of citizens’ right to place a referendum on the ballot opposing the Vietnam War, ruling: “As representatives of local communities, board of supervisors and city councils have traditionally made declarations of policy on matters of concern to the community whether or not they had power to effectuate such declarations by binding legislation Indeed, one of the purposes of local government is to represent its citizens before the Congress, the Legislature, and administrative agencies in matters over which the local government has no power. Even in matters of foreign policy it is not uncommon for local legislative bodies to make their positions known.”

Whereas, the ongoing assault on Gaza has resulted in catastrophic loss of Palestinian lives, injuries, destruction and increasing hostilities which threaten the existence of the Palestinians as a people, and widens war in the region, and has not resulted in the release of the Israeli hostages nor promoted true safety for anyone,

Whereas, the United States is funding and enabling this ongoing assault by sending taxpayer funded weapons to Israel and its national Administration is enabling the assault by refusing to call for an immediate and complete ceasefire,

Whereas, San Francisco, Oakland, Richmond, Detroit, Atlanta, Seattle and other local governments have already passed resolutions urging the U.S. government to support an immediate and complete ceasefire in Gaza.

Therefore, be it resolved that the City of Asheville declares its support for an immediate and durable ceasefire, the immediate delivery of ample and life-saving humanitarian aid to Palestinian civilians, for freeing of all hostages, and for an end to antisemitic, anti-Palestinian, Islamophobic, and all xenophobic rhetoric and attacks across our country and will submit this resolution to our Congressional representative.