Orange County Democratic Party Resolutions on Israel-Palestine
 

Commendations to the drafters of two resolutions copied below: Sammy Slade, Carrboro Alderman;  Miriam Thompson; and Hank Elkins, chair of the Resolutions and Platform Committee, that tackled 44 resolutions.  These resolutions will go to the District 4 Convention on May 14, Pollard Middle School, in Chatham County, just northwest of Fearrington Village off 15-501, for consideration.

CONDEMNING US SUPPORT FOR ISRAELI SETTLEMENTS IN PALESTINIAN LAND

Whereas the U.S. has used its veto ten times since 2000 in the UN Security Council to back
the Israeli side in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; and

Whereas the U.S. first UN Security Council veto under President Obama occurred on February
18, 2011 against a non-binding resolution (favored 14-1) condemning Israeli settlements in
Palestinian territory; and

Whereas Israel itself has known the settlements were illegal since mid 1967, when Theodor
Meron, legal counsel to Israel's Foreign Ministry and Israel‟s foremost authority in international
law, informed Prime Minister Eshkol that “civilian settlement in the administered territories
contravenes the explicit provisions of the Fourth Geneva Convention.” [Gershom Gorenberg,
The Accidental Empire (New York: Times Books, Henry Holt, 2006) pp. 99-102.]

Whereas access to water has been a critical issue for centuries in the region that includes
Israeli and Palestinian lands, and increasing aridity due to climate change and increased water
consumption due to population growth are straining water resources beyond their capacity of
renewal so that the current rate of water withdrawal in Israel stands at an unsustainable 110%
and is expected to create even greater conflict between the two populations in the future; and
Whereas the three principle underground aquifers that supply Israel and Palestine are found
largely in the occupied West Bank territory and currently provide Israelis with 500 million cubic
meters of water per year and Palestinians with 80 million cubic meters per year as Palestinians
are prohibited by Israel to drill wells on their own land; and

Whereas the West Bank Jewish population has grown to over 400,000 settlers, with more than
a third of West Bank settlements built illegally on private Palestinian land; and

Whereas the settlements have had had a devastating impact on Palestinian olive farming,
which is the principal livelihood for many West Bank Palestinian families and has proven itself to
be a sustainable agricultural tradition for over 4000 years for this region; it is estimated that
about 4 million olive trees have been lost to Palestinians by the outright destruction of olive
trees, which can live up to 500 years and are able to withstand drought, or by barring farmers
from accessing their fields in order to build water-intensive Jewish settlements and roads; and

Whereas Britain, France, and Germany issued a joint statement in which they explained they
had voted for the resolution “because our views on settlements including East Jerusalem are
clear: they are illegal under international law, an obstacle to peace … All settlement activity,
including in East Jerusalem, should cease immediately.” and

Whereas Israel has refused to comply with the Fourth Geneva Convention; has refused to
comply with Security Council Resolutions 242,338, and 446; and has ignored General Assembly
Resolution 194; and

Whereas Obama‟s FY2011 budget request to Congress includes $3 billion in foreign aid to
Israel, more than 90% of which is military aid; and

Whereas this same $3 billion earmark for Israel could be used instead to provide more than
364,000 low-income households with affordable housing vouchers, or to retrain 498,000
workers for green jobs, or to provide early reading programs to 887,000 at-risk students, or to
provide access to primary health care services for more than 24 million uninsured Americans.

Therefore be it resolved that the Orange County Democratic Party urge our congressional
representatives to redirect military aid to Israel to housing, education, health and other needs in
this country or to promote social and economic development for peace in both Israel and
Palestine;

Be it further resolved that the Orange County Democratic Party condemns the recent veto by
the United States against the Security Council resolution that condemned Israeli settlements in
Palestinian territories and urges the United States work through the United Nations and other
diplomatic channels to stop all construction of Israel settlement on the West Bank and in East
Jerusalem.

BRINGING A JUST PEACE TO THE MIDDLE EAST: ISRAEL AND PALESTINE

Whereas U.S. provides Israel $3 billion annually in military aid;

Whereas the Israeli occupation, disenfranchisement and impoverishment of significant numbers
of the Palestinian population, and Israel's overwhelming military might and its role as the only
nuclear power threaten stability in a region witnessing increased demands for democracy and
an end to autocratic rule;

Whereas Israel uses this aid to continue its illegal occupation, demolition of Palestinian homes,
expansion of existing illegal settlements built on expropriated Palestinian land, and a continued
blockade of essential goods from Gaza, a blockade causing a UN documented humanitarian
crisis;

Whereas U.S. military aid has caused increased violence and insecurity to Israelis and
Palestinians and helps subvert any prospect for peace;

Whereas Israel's human rights violations and its illegal occupation and settlements violate
International and U.S. law, including the U.S. Arms Export Control Act of 1976;

Therefore be it resolved that the Orange County Democratic Party hold its elected congress
members and senators accountable for helping end our government's role in continuing
the Israeli Palestinian tragedy by making the human rights of both peoples central to U.S.
foreign policy by ending Israel's illegal occupation, by advocating for a viable Palestinian state,
and membership of that state in the United Nations;

Be it further resolved that the Orange County Democratic Party urges its congressional
delegation to support the following principles that will insure a just and secure peace for both
peoples, including:

● Bringing all parties, including Hamas, to the table to negotiate an end to the Israeli
Occupation and a secure peace based on the 1967 borders;

● An immediate end to settlement expansion and removal of existing settlements in the West
Bank and East Jerusalem;

● An end to Palestinian house demolitions;

● A halt to further construction of the wall;

● An end to the Gaza blockade;

● The establishment of a nuclear free zone in the Middle East;

● Redirecting U.S. Military aid to Israel to promote social and economic development for
peace in both Israel and Palestine;

Be it further resolved that the Orange County Democratic Party press our NC Congressional
delegation to demand the State Department implement Federal legislation that prohibits use of
U.S. military aid to support human rights violations, breaches of international law and UN
Security Council Resolutions.