Amherst Pelham Education Association Joins Labor-wide Call for Ceasefire
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Source: Amherst Pelham Education Association
The Amherst Pelham Education Association (APEA) has endorsed a labor-wide call for a ceasefire in Israel and Palestine. At the APEA Representative Council December meeting on December 11, a petition signed by 50 members was presented to the body, asking APEA leadership to endorse the statement below in favor of a ceasefire in Israel and Palestine.
After discussion, the APEA Representative Council voted to sign on to the letter titled “The US Labor Movement Calls for Ceasefire in Israel and Palestine.” In addition to calling for a ceasefire, the letter urges that “humanitarian aid be allowed into Gaza” and that “Israeli hostages taken by Hamas be immediately released.”
Initiated by United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 3000 and the United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America (UE), the letter has been signed by a growing list of unions and labor organizations including the Massachusetts Teachers Association, United Auto Workers (UAW), the Boston Teachers Union, the Chicago Teachers Union, the Western Mass Area Labor Federation, and now the Amherst Pelham Education Association. View the full list of organizations that have signed the letter here.
The Statement
We, members of the American labor movement, mourn the loss of life in Israel and Palestine. We express our solidarity with all workers and our common desire for peace in Palestine and Israel, and we call on President Joe Biden and Congress to push for an immediate ceasefire and end to the siege of Gaza. We cannot bomb our way to peace. We also condemn any hate crimes against Muslims, Jews, or anyone else.
In issuing this call, U.S. unions are joining the efforts of 13 Congressmembers and others who are calling for an immediate ceasefire.
The basic rights of people must be restored. Water, fuel, food, and other humanitarian aid must be allowed into Gaza, power must be restored, and foreign nationals and Palestinians requiring medical care must be allowed out of Gaza.
The Israeli hostages taken by Hamas must be immediately released. Both Hamas and Israel must adhere to standards of international law and Geneva Convention rules of warfare concerning the welfare and security of civilians.
There must be a ceasefire in Gaza. The cycle of violence must stop so that negotiations for an enduring peace proceed.
The U.S. must act. We call on President Biden to immediately call for a ceasefire.
The road to justice cannot be paved by bombs and war. The road to peace cannot be found through warfare. We commit ourselves to work in solidarity with the Palestinian and Israeli peoples to achieve peace and justice.
Union members come from diverse backgrounds, including Jews, Muslims, and Middle Eastern communities. The rising escalation of war and arms sales doesn’t serve the interests of workers anywhere. In the end, we all want a place to call home and for our children to be safe. Working people around the world want and deserve to live free from the effects of violence, war and militarization.
Thousands of Americans have joined the groundswell of global solidarity demanding a ceasefire now.
It’s the labor movement’s turn to make our voices heard and demand a ceasefire. Together, we can stand for peace, justice, and a better future for working people everywhere.
For more information, contact: executiveboard@amherstpelhamed.org
Absolutely agree to a permanent cease fire and return of hostages. I also understand personally the anguish and fear Israelis have in combating Hamas. Not all Palestinians are Hamas, but the more destruction in Gaza and the West Bank the more Hamas (and Hezbola) fighters will be created. The Palestinians are also being held hostage in their own right, and as fighting continues will have fewer and fewer choices regarding their personal futures. Who can they support?
Our country must join the world community and insist on a cease fire immediately.