NC local and state officials call for cease-fire in the Middle East

Rep. Maria Cervania (D-Wake) calls for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war at a Legislative Building press conference on Wednesday, July 31, 2024. (Photo: Ahmed Jallow)

Nearly 50 North Carolina state and local elected officials have signed a letter calling for a permanent cease-fire in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.

The letter will be delivered to the members of the North Carolina congressional delegation and the Biden administration, according to two of the co-authors, State Representatives Maria Cervania (D-Wake) and Renee Price (D-Caswell and Orange) , both of whom spoke at a Wednesday morning press conference at the State Legislative Building. All of the 16 state lawmakers who signed the letter are Democrats.

“This letter was born from deep compassion and carefully crafted with sincerity and sensitivity,” said Cervania. It “calls upon our North Carolina congressional delegation to support a ceasefire between Israel and Palestine.”

Jewish Voice for Peace – Triangle Chapter, Muslim Women For, and Rep. Pricey Harrison (D-Guilford), who was absent during this morning’s announcement, are also co-authors of the letter.

“We witnessed the success of the temporary truce at the end of November: dozens of Israeli hostages were freed, dozens of Palestinian detainees were released, and life-saving humanitarian aid and fuel were distributed,” according to the letter.

At the press conference, speakers highlighted the devastating impact of the war on civilians and called on the congressional delegation to support a resolution introduced by Rep. Cori Bush (D-Missouri) in October, which seeks an immediate and permanent cease-fire.

“While we do not deal in international affairs on the state level of politics, we do hold the authority to encourage our national officials to support efforts in peace and when international conflicts begin to affect the people in our communities in North Carolina, be it our Jewish or Muslim neighbors, it is our role as state legislators to hear them,” said Cervania.

Following the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas, which killed 1,200 Israelis and took about 250 hostages, the ensuing Israeli military campaign has resulted in nearly 39,000 deaths. The conflict has led a wide array of groups and individuals to call for a permanent ceasefire, including the American Postal Workers and the United Auto Workers – two of the largest unions in the U.S.

“They understand the response of to the horrific killing of innocent Israelis on October 7 should not be met with more violence,” according to the letter.

Rep. Price voiced concern about the far-reaching impact of the Middle East conflict on communities in North Carolina.

“Though the Middle East conflict is 6,000-plus miles away, its impact definitely is felt here in North Carolina, in our communities, within families and among our friends, be they Palestinian, Israeli, American or another nationality, ” Price said. “W e are unable to remain silent as this crisis worsens as human beings, including innocent babies, children, women and men are dying from missile attacks or starvation . ”

Wednesday’s event followed Tuesday’s news report that 38 protesters charged in an April pro-Palestinian demonstration at UNC-Chapel Hill have been offered plea deals .

All protesters face misdemeanor charges, with most charged with second-degree trespassing. Others face charges of resisting a public officer and assault on a government official, according to WRAL. It’s unclear whether protesters will accept plea deals ranging from deferred prosecution to conditional discharge. Several protesters say they are using a “collective defense strategy” to avoid leaving group members with more serious charges.

All plea deals require community service and/or payment of court costs and fines.

UNC police have charged 39 people since April, when a four-day ‘Gaza solidarity encampment’ on campus was shut down.

Samira Haddad, a Palestinian organizer and volunteer with Muslim Women For, an advocacy organization based in North Carolina, said they began working on the letter in October. “Since then, the horrors in Gaza have intensified daily,’ Haddad said. “We have members of our local community who have lost dozens of family members and even hundreds more,” Haddad said.

Steve Bader, a member of Jewish Voice for Peace – Triangle Chapter, expressed similar sentiments.

The letter also called for extending Temporary Protected Status under federal immigration law to Palestinians living in the U.S. TPS allows citizens of designated countries to live and work in the U.S. temporarily when conditions in their home countries are unsafe.