Sample Resolution for U.S. Localities Regarding Gaza

By World BEYOND War, April 9, 2024

The International Court of Justice has ordered Israel to cease killing and causing injury to Palestinians. The court is proceeding to try Israel for the crime of genocide.

As a party to the Genocide Convention, the United States is required to avoid complicity in genocide. U.S. weapons shipments to Israel, whether paid for by the United States or Israel, violate, under U.S. law, the Genocide Convention Implementation Act, the Conventional Arms Transfer Policy, the Foreign Assistance Act, the Arms Export Control Act, the U.S. War Crimes Act, and the Leahy Law.

These basic facts, needless to say, do not excuse murderous violence by Hamas or anyone else — violence which we condemn and would like to see puniushed in court rather than used as an excuse to commit genocide.

The City of __________  urges the United States Congress to uphold the rule of law, and the will of the majority of the U.S. public in numerous polls by immediately taking the following steps:

• Commit publicly to voting No on any bill and any related “rule” vote to provide any weapons to Israel, no matter what else is included in the bill;
• Commit publicly to organizing colleagues to do the same;
• Introduce and lobby for passage of an arms embargo on Israel and a ban on U.S. military support to Israel;
• Demand immediate Congressional hearings on enforcement of laws currently violated by weapons shipments to Israel;
• Publicly condemn U.S. vetoes of peace proposals for Gaza at the United Nations and urge the world to pursue effective action through the General Assembly under the “Uniting for Peace” resolution;
• Publicly demand an immediate unilateral ceasefire by Israel, in compliance with the orders of the International Court of Justice and of the United Nations Security Council;
• Support negotiations between the Israeli and Palestinian governments without U.S. involvement.