Connecticut Elected Officials for Ceasefire

Elected officials of the state of Connecticut, please co-sign the ceasefire letter (pdf format here) in the link below:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1fEWQH1SSWPIPdKG-7_Ds8OsoBFOnHJy1fpGh9kojJk4/viewform

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March 20, 2024

The Honorable Joseph R. Biden, Jr.

President of the United States

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW

Washington D.C. 20500

The Honorable Senator Christopher Murphy

136 Hart Senate Office Building

Washington, DC 20510

The Honorable Senator Richard Blumenthal

706 Hart Senate Office Building

Washington, DC 20510

RE: IMMEDIATE & PERMANENT CEASEFIRE

Dear Mr. President and Connecticut U.S. Senators,

We, the undersigned elected officials of Connecticut, value human life, dignity, equality, safety, and peace for all, regardless of race, religion, or ethnicity. We stand in solidarity with our Muslim, Jewish, and Christian communities, reaffirming our commitment to their safety, security, and well-being both here in Connecticut and to their families and friends in Israel and Palestine. It is in this spirit that we join with voices of conscience in Connecticut and around the world in recognizing the imperative need for an immediate, mutual, and permanent ceasefire in the assault on Gaza.

The armed violence in Israel and Palestine has claimed the lives of innocent civilians, with tens of thousands of lives lost, hundreds of thousands of people displaced, and homes, neighborhoods, schools, universities, hospitals, churches, and mosques destroyed. Furthermore, absent an immediate ceasefire and prompt delivery of sufficient humanitarian aid into Gaza hundreds of thousands of lives are at imminent risk of apocalyptic death by starvation, dehydration, and disease. Additionally, there must be an end to violations of international law. All religious sites, including the Al Aqsa complex, must be protected from encroachment and destruction.

We further urge you to prioritize the safety and well-being of all hostages and detainees in both Gaza and Israel, recognizing their right to freedom and unconditional release. We call on you to exercise all available diplomatic leverage towards such end.

The current military solution approach has proved counterproductive resulting in unnecessary deaths and prolonged suffering. There is much to do to secure a peace that ensures safety, freedom, justice, and equality for all people in the region. But the immediate priority must be to stop the mounting death and destruction.

Sincerely,

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1. Jazmarie Melendez (Bridgeport Councilwoman 138th District)

2. Douglas Lary (Treasurer of the Willimantic Taxing District Board of Directors)

3. Michael Westerfield (Director on Willimantic Taxing District Board of Directors)

4. Leif Smith (Redding, CT Constable Zoning Board of Appeals)

5. Michael Harris (Registrar of Voters, CT 2nd Congressional District)

6. Bilal Tajildeen (Board of Aldermen District 5, City of Waterbury)

7. Ernest Newton II (President-Pro Tempo Bridgeport City Council 139th District)

8. Jefferey Hart (City Council New London)

9. Jacqueline Jackson (Commissioner, Board of Education, City of Waterbury)

10. Abdul-Razak Osmanu (Legislative Council, District 3, Hamden, CT)

11. Ben Florsheim (Mayor, Middletown, CT)

12. Nathan Simpson (Alderman, Ward 1, New Britain, CT)

13. Josh Michtom (At Large, City Council, Hartford, CT)