The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today expressed support for a proposed Vermont city council pledge to support “freedom for Palestinians” and an end to Israeli “military occupation” in Gaza.
The Burlington City Council is planning a special meeting tonight to discuss a pledge from the city calling for an end to Israeli military operations in Gaza. The proposed charter asks voters to “affirm a commitment to freedom, justice, and equality for the Palestinian people and all people, oppose all forms of racism, bigotry, discrimination, and oppression, and declare Burlington an apartheid-free community.”
SEE: Burlington City Council to hold special meeting over ballot item on Israel
“We welcome the initiative of these Burlington city councilors who are standing up to affirm the right of Palestinians to live freely on their own land and to call for an end to the Israeli government’s genocidal campaign and apartheid,” said CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw. “This resolution affirming the humanity of Palestinians is especially important in light of the attempted murder of three Palestinian college students last fall.”
He noted that earlier this month, CAIR released its Community Toolkit on Promoting Ceasefire Now Resolutions at State and Local Government. This toolkit is designed to equip all Americans with resolutions demanding a ceasefire that addresses Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza with their local city, county, school board, and state legislative representatives.
END
CONTACT: CAIR National Deputy Director Edward Ahmed Mitchell, 404-285-9530, e-Mitchell@cair.com; CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw, 202-742-6448, rmccaw@cair.com; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, ihooper@cair.com, CAIR National Communications Manager Ismail Allison, 202-770-6280, iallison@cair.com