"It is imperative to focus on
promoting a unifying choice to
protect and care for innocent people."
We, the members of the Charlottesville Center for Peace and Justice, feel compelled to speak in response to the tragedy taking place in Gaza. The current conflict has typically been described as one in which there is a binary choice between being pro-Israeli or pro-Palestinian. We believe it is imperative to focus on promoting a unifying choice to protect and care for innocent people.
As residents of Charlottesville, we know the pain of an innocent life being taken in a violent act. We cannot begin to fathom the pain of thousands of innocent lives being lost on a continuing basis. In the current reality, the Israeli and Palestinian peoples are mourning daily the death of family members and friends killed in the conflict. Both peoples long for the release of family members and friends held as hostages in Gaza or as prisoners in Israel. Both peoples need a safe place to live, where basic human needs can be met without fear of attack.
The brutally violent actions taken by the leaders of Hamas on October 7th and the devastating bombardment and invasion of Gaza ordered by Israeli leaders since October 7th have created the current horrific conditions and deepened the enmity between these two peoples. The actions ordered by the Israeli and Hamas leaders have created a toxic environment for holding discussions on this long-standing conflict, which now poses a threat to international peace.
The governing leaders on both sides have shown their intent to destroy the other and have proven themselves incapable of resolving this conflict without horrendous loss of life. We hold it necessary that the international community intervene with proposals and actions focused on ending this loss of life.
"We hold it necessary that the international community intervene with proposals and actions focused on ending this loss of life. "
One example of such an action would be for the United Nations to establish a UN Protectorate in Gaza based on Chapter VII of the UN Charter. UN Protectorates have been established in Kosovo, Cyprus, East Timor, and in other conflicts that threatened international peace.
We propose that the following actions be taken concurrently with the establishment and administration of a UN protectorate in order to end the violence and provide safety for both the people of Israel and the people of Gaza as quickly as possible:
- An immediate cessation of hostile actions by both Israel and Hamas.
- The release of hostages by Hamas and other groups and the release of Palestinians held as political prisoners by Israel.
- Withdrawal of Israeli military and security forces from all Gazan territory.
- Under the UN protectorate and with a new government, the establishment of Gaza as a non-militarized area.
- The end of the Israeli blockade of Gaza and establishment of a Gazan port of entry on the Mediterranean coast.
- The help of many nations in providing humanitarian aid to the people in Gaza.
We urge President Biden and his administration to propose and support this action and/or similar actions to end this conflict and save lives. As members of the Charlottesville Center for Peace and Justice, we offer this proposal in the hope that its goal will become the basis for swift action.
