The Dane County Board of Supervisors called for a ceasefire in Gaza Thursday, approving 2023 Resolution 333. Under the approved resolution, the board called for an immediate ceasefire, along with “urgent political action to both de-escalate the crisis.”
The resolution also calls for the prioritization of “truth, reconciliation, restitution, and the building of a future for the Israeli and Palestinian people.” It urges the Biden administration and elected members of the Senate and Congress to oppose “additional funding for military action.”
At the time this article was written, at least 68 members of Congress and 25 members of the Senate have called for a ceasefire or cessation of hostilities. Among them, Rep. Mark Pocan (D-WI-02) and Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D–WI). Pocan urged the Biden administration to establish a ceasefire October 2023, and Baldwin pushed the White House to establish a ceasefire agreement this month.
In approving this resolution introduced by County Board Supervisor Kierstin Huelsemann (District 27), Dane County joins local governments across the nation in states including California, Delaware, North Caroline, Rhode Island, Michigan and Georgia.
The approval of this resolution follows the unanimous call for a ceasefire in Gaza in December by the Madison City Council.
The board also approved Resolution 314 and Resolution 321 Thursday, condemning anti-Semitism and condemning Islamophobia in Dane County, respectively. Huelsemann spoke on the intersection of the three approved resolutions, urging Dane County residents to recognize diversity in the community as a source of strength.
