Response to NOLA City Council’s ‘Statement of Peace’

Fight Back News service is circulating the following statement from the New Orleans Ceasefire Coalition, which includes Masjid Omar, Jewish Voice for Peace – New Orleans, New Orleans Stop Helping Israel’s Ports, Voice of the Experienced, and others.

In recent days, our coalition has been made aware of this ‘Statement of Peace,’ being distributed to local leaders and institutions, and signed by all of the New Orleans City Council Members. This statement seeks to address the “ongoing conflict in Gaza and Israel,” and is likely to be introduced as a resolution on the council’s agenda for a vote on Thursday, August 8th. Our coalition, which has been tirelessly advocating for a ceasefire resolution to this council, was not consulted about this statement. We consider this ‘Statement of Peace’ insidious in its language, and firmly reject it.

This statement was made without consideration to any Palestinian in this city. This is especially concerning as each council member has had private meetings with Palestinian residents in their own districts to discuss a ceasefire resolution. Meanwhile, we know that the Council involved local Zionist institutions to draft this statement. By doing this, the council has shown complete disrespect to their constituents, especially Palestinians who have been most impacted by this conflict.

This statement also negates the basic purpose of a local ceasefire resolution – to pressure the White House, the US Senate and Congress to change course on their support of Israel’s genocide. The United States government has had the power to end this genocide since it began. As every credible human rights organization and international governmental organization has been outspoken about the unprecedented scale of death, disease, and destruction in Gaza, our government has continued sending billions of our tax dollars in weapons and funding for Israel, and has shielded Israel from all accountability.

While 172 cities across the country have issued ceasefire resolutions calling on the United States government to implement a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, including by ending all military aid to Israel, our city council has signed on to a statement that explicitly supports “the efforts by the United States government.” This is a statement of hate, a statement which asks the United States government to continue its policy of facilitating the genocide in Gaza.

A full list of our criticisms of this statement can be found below. We ask the New Orleans City Council to not move forward with their ‘Statement of Peace’, and to invite us to the negotiating table when drafting a ceasefire resolution.

We call on the public to show up in full force at 10am on Thursday August 8th to call this council out on their bad faith actions, and speak out against this statement.

#NewOrleansLA #Palestine #NewOrleansCeasefireCoalition #MasjidOmar #JVP #NOSHIP #VoiceoftheExperienced