88S40636 KSM-F
 
  By: Bhojani H.R. No. 76
 
 
 
R E S O L U T I O N
         WHEREAS, On October 7, 2023, Hamas militants based in Gaza
  attacked southern Israel, murdering approximately 1,200 people and
  seizing over 230 hostages; the cruel assault was met with worldwide
  condemnation; and
         WHEREAS, The international community also deplores the
  increasingly catastrophic response by the Israeli government; its
  relentless campaign of air strikes has laid waste to entire
  neighborhoods, including homes, schools, hospitals, and places of
  worship; more than two-thirds of the population is displaced and
  over 11,100 Gazans have died, among them 4,500 children and
  thousands of women and seniors; this terrible death toll surpasses
  the number of children killed in conflict zones around the world
  each year since 2019, according to humanitarian organization Save
  the Children; and
         WHEREAS, Over 28,000 Gazans have been injured and the health
  care system is collapsing; conditions in the region are growing
  ever more dire, with dwindling access to food, clean water,
  electricity, fuel, and communications; many Texans are wracked with
  worry for relatives trapped in Gaza, and compassionate people the
  world over fear for their plight, as well as for Israeli hostages
  held by Hamas in dangerous locations; and
         WHEREAS, We recognize that the Muslim, Jewish, and Christian
  communities, as the Abrahamic faiths, are impacted and devastated
  by the recent conflict in the Palestinian Territories of Gaza and
  the West Bank, and Israel; and
         WHEREAS, The State of Texas encompasses one of the most
  socio-demographically diverse regions in the country, with
  thriving Muslim, Jewish, and Christian communities, and is home to
  hundreds of synagogues, mosques, and churches; the coalition
  between Muslims, Jews, and Christians plays a fundamental role in
  joining diverse communities and leveraging their strength to deal
  with this conflict through extensive interfaith and community
  engagement efforts; and
         WHEREAS, Tensions in the Middle East have provided fuel for
  those who would stoke prejudice and division, particularly among
  communities that are connected to this ongoing conflict; and
         WHEREAS, In Texas, local Arab, Muslim, and Jewish communities
  are facing increased physical and verbal assaults and intimidation
  due to heightened Islamophobia and antisemitism; these threats have
  been made clear in recent years through such incidents as the murder
  of a Muslim South Asian pediatrician in Conroe and the mass shooting
  in Allen by a Nazi sympathizer; and
         WHEREAS, Governor Greg Abbott and other officials have spoken
  out forcefully against antisemitism and in support of Israel's
  right to defend itself; Arab, South Asian, and Muslim communities
  are increasingly frustrated and dismayed by the Abbott
  administration's muted reaction to Islamophobia in Texas and by the
  failure to call for a cease-fire in Gaza; these communities have
  become more civically engaged in our democracy, as acceptance of
  diversity has expanded, but silence in the face of mass civilian
  casualties in Gaza and rising bigotry in our state leaves members
  alienated and disheartened; and
         WHEREAS, Governor Abbott has demonstrated his influence in
  addressing the ongoing conflict, as evidenced by his assertive
  measures, including the allocation of funds to 31 Jewish
  organizations with the purpose of security enhancements and his
  personal visit to the region; now, therefore, be it
         RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas
  Legislature, 4th Called Session, hereby:
         1.  Urge Governor Greg Abbott to utilize all available means
  to achieve a cease-fire in Gaza;
         2.  Mourn the lives lost and the destruction, both physical
  and emotional, in the region known as the Holy Land, which holds
  religious significance and reverence in all three Abrahamic faiths;
         3.  Grieve for our community members and all those throughout
  the United States who are emotionally connected to this conflict or
  have family and relatives in the Holy Land;
         4.  Condemn the rising antisemitism, Islamophobia, and
  objectionable rhetoric and rising hate in our communities;
         5.  Believe that the diversity of our state is our strength
  but the social bonds we create and nourish are our power; and
         6.  Seek understanding, respect, and recognition of our pain
  through peaceful and civil discourse to set an example for other
  communities to follow.