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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, On October 7, 2023, Hamas militants based in Gaza |
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attacked southern Israel, murdering approximately 1,200 people and |
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seizing over 230 hostages; the cruel assault was met with worldwide |
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condemnation; and |
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WHEREAS, The international community also deplores the |
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increasingly catastrophic response by the Israeli government; its |
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relentless campaign of air strikes has laid waste to entire |
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neighborhoods, including homes, schools, hospitals, and places of |
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worship; more than two-thirds of the population is displaced and |
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over 11,100 Gazans have died, among them 4,500 children and |
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thousands of women and seniors; this terrible death toll surpasses |
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the number of children killed in conflict zones around the world |
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each year since 2019, according to humanitarian organization Save |
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the Children; and |
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WHEREAS, Over 28,000 Gazans have been injured and the health |
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care system is collapsing; conditions in the region are growing |
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ever more dire, with dwindling access to food, clean water, |
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electricity, fuel, and communications; many Texans are wracked with |
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worry for relatives trapped in Gaza, and compassionate people the |
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world over fear for their plight, as well as for Israeli hostages |
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held by Hamas in dangerous locations; and |
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WHEREAS, We recognize that the Muslim, Jewish, and Christian |
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communities, as the Abrahamic faiths, are impacted and devastated |
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by the recent conflict in the Palestinian Territories of Gaza and |
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the West Bank, and Israel; and |
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WHEREAS, The State of Texas encompasses one of the most |
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socio-demographically diverse regions in the country, with |
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thriving Muslim, Jewish, and Christian communities, and is home to |
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hundreds of synagogues, mosques, and churches; the coalition |
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between Muslims, Jews, and Christians plays a fundamental role in |
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joining diverse communities and leveraging their strength to deal |
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with this conflict through extensive interfaith and community |
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engagement efforts; and |
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WHEREAS, Tensions in the Middle East have provided fuel for |
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those who would stoke prejudice and division, particularly among |
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communities that are connected to this ongoing conflict; and |
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WHEREAS, In Texas, local Arab, Muslim, and Jewish communities |
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are facing increased physical and verbal assaults and intimidation |
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due to heightened Islamophobia and antisemitism; these threats have |
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been made clear in recent years through such incidents as the murder |
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of a Muslim South Asian pediatrician in Conroe and the mass shooting |
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in Allen by a Nazi sympathizer; and |
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WHEREAS, Governor Greg Abbott and other officials have spoken |
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out forcefully against antisemitism and in support of Israel's |
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right to defend itself; Arab, South Asian, and Muslim communities |
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are increasingly frustrated and dismayed by the Abbott |
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administration's muted reaction to Islamophobia in Texas and by the |
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failure to call for a cease-fire in Gaza; these communities have |
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become more civically engaged in our democracy, as acceptance of |
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diversity has expanded, but silence in the face of mass civilian |
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casualties in Gaza and rising bigotry in our state leaves members |
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alienated and disheartened; and |
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WHEREAS, Governor Abbott has demonstrated his influence in |
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addressing the ongoing conflict, as evidenced by his assertive |
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measures, including the allocation of funds to 31 Jewish |
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organizations with the purpose of security enhancements and his |
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personal visit to the region; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas |
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Legislature, 4th Called Session, hereby: |
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1. Urge Governor Greg Abbott to utilize all available means |
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to achieve a cease-fire in Gaza; |
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2. Mourn the lives lost and the destruction, both physical |
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and emotional, in the region known as the Holy Land, which holds |
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religious significance and reverence in all three Abrahamic faiths; |
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3. Grieve for our community members and all those throughout |
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the United States who are emotionally connected to this conflict or |
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have family and relatives in the Holy Land; |
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4. Condemn the rising antisemitism, Islamophobia, and |
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objectionable rhetoric and rising hate in our communities; |
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5. Believe that the diversity of our state is our strength |
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but the social bonds we create and nourish are our power; and |
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6. Seek understanding, respect, and recognition of our pain |
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through peaceful and civil discourse to set an example for other |
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communities to follow. |