Dear Friend,

Two weeks ago, AAI joined Rainbow PUSH and a dozen other national organizations in Chicago to convene an Emergency Summit for Gaza. One of the summit focal points was the call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. There, we learned that the Chicago City Council would be considering a ceasefire resolution.

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Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson just put his weight behind that call [[link removed]] . If passed, Chicago will become the largest U.S. city to demand a ceasefire in Gaza. The legislation introduced by Chicago Alderwoman Rossana Rodriguez-Sanchez is one of many resolutions being debated in city and county governments. Every day that number grows. Detroit, Atlanta, Akron, Wilmington, Providence, Seattle, San Francisco, and tens of other American cities have already passed the call for a ceasefire.

An open letter from local and state officials demanding Biden call for a ceasefire has gained hundreds of signatures across the country. The letter, [[link removed]] supported by JVP Action, continues to garner signatures. We need YOUR help to grow the number even more. Please join us in contacting your city, county, and state officials and urge them to sign on to JVP Action's open letter AND encourage them to bring forward a ceasefire resolution.

In Illinois, State Representative Abdelnasser Rashid, an Arab American and early supporter of the letter, said the following:

“I’m heartened to see so many state and local elected leaders join the call for ceasefire and human rights. These individuals will be remembered for their moral clarity. Israel’s leaders have made it clear, over and over, that they are intent on destruction. It’s time for President Biden and Secretary Blinken to push for an immediate ceasefire and ensure that our taxpayer dollars are not funding the indiscriminate killing of Palestinian civilians.”

There's a common saying: all politics is local. Our community knows firsthand how true that is. Since the beginning of this year, the number of Congress members calling for a ceasefire has plateaued.

We know that hundreds of members of Congress are close to joining the call but they need an extra push. Because local officials truly know their constituents, pushing local officials to publicly support a ceasefire will bring added pressure on Congress.

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You can use this action alert [[link removed]] to contact your state officials. You can locate your city and county officials on your local government website or by searching here [[link removed]] . Use the draft in the action alert [[link removed]] to write and ask for a ceasefire resolution and ask them to sign the JVP Action letter. Please share your email to local officials by copying [email protected] so we can amplify the work you are doing from DC.

The only way we can have justice and stop the genocide in Gaza is first to have a ceasefire - there is no other way.

A ceasefire feels closer than ever, and YOU can help us get there. By lending your voice at the local level, we will remind every member of Congress and the Biden administration that all over this country, the American people demand a ceasefire in Gaza.

Regards,

Jim

Arab American Institute Foundation
1600 K Street, NW, Suite 601
Washington, DC 20006
United States
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