Dear Lora Lucero,

Thank you for signing the ceasefire letter on behalf of Progressive Democrats of America – Central New Mexico , alongside 773 organisations from more than 80 countries and more than 925,000 individuals.

Please feel free to post on your websites the text of the letter, and you can find helpful graphics in this folder in English, Arabic, Hebrew, French and Spanish.

You can also find the full list of signatories here. We will update the list every 24 hours.

We encourage you to share this letter with your media contacts, as we will all be doing.

The statement is now open for individual public sign-on through the launch of the #CeasefireNOW petition which aims to amplify a global call for an immediate ceasefire that would protect and save lives. The aim is to mobilize 2.2 million people from around the world, the same as the population of Palestinians living in Gaza, to sign the petition calling on all world leaders, the UN Security Council, and actors on the ground to act now to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe. 

November 4, 2023
Representative Eleanor Chavez (District 26)
New Mexico State Legislature
490 Old Santa Fe Trail
Santa Fe, NM 87501

Dear Representative Chavez:

Thank you for sending your excellent letters to President Biden and to the NM Congressional delegation (view her letter here) urging them to support an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. Your leadership in standing up for human rights and the common humanity of every victim (Israeli and Palestinian) is clearly heartfelt and aligned with the majority of Americans (Democrats, Republicans and Independents) calling for a ceasefire.

Progressive Democrats of America join you in demanding an immediate ceasefire and we’ll do everything in our power to move President Biden and Congress to take urgent action to stop Israel’s genocidal campaign in Gaza.

Thank you for sharing your strong voice.

Sincerely,

PDA-CNM
PO Box 7638
Albuquerque, NM 87194
505-453-3938

by Lora Lucero

(Rafah border between Egypt and Gaza – Photo by Lora Lucero)

A “humanitarian pause” is the code word that President Biden and many Democrats (including the New Mexico delegation) are using to describe their support for getting humanitarian supplies (food, water, medicine and fuel) to the beleaguered population in the Gaza Strip.  Hundreds of trucks have been sitting on the road outside of Rafah waiting for permission to enter.  With food rotting and the situation in Gaza becoming ever more dire, this humanitarian aid represents life or death for many.  But a humanitarian pause is not enough.  Why?   

The problem with a “humanitarian pause” is that it means (1) giving aid with one hand and (2) dropping bombs with the other.  President Biden and those Democrats who support a “humanitarian pause” don’t want to get on Israel’s bad side by calling for a cessation of hostilities. In fact, they’re hoping to send $14 billion to support Israel’s military to prosecute this horrendous massacre.  (At this writing, over 8,000 Palestinians have been killed.)

Fortunately, Rep. Cori Bush (D. Mo.) has introduced H. Res. 786 calling for an immediate de-escalation and cease-fire in Israel and occupied Palestine, joined by 17 cosponsors.  None of the New Mexico delegation has signed on to support a ceasefire, despite numerous requests and meetings with constituents.  Led by Jewish Voice for Peace, members of PDA-CNM have participated in these meetings and actions but we haven’t seen any of the delegation budge off their mantra urging a “humanitarian pause”.

UNRWA USA: Showing Palestine refugees that Americans care   UNRWA has been providing healthcare, mental health services, food supplies and schools in Gaza for decades. More than 60 UNRWA employees in Gaza have been killed since October 8, and 42 UNRWA facilities have been damaged.

American Friends Service Committee provides many resources about Palestine and Israel online and has a weekly zoom meeting on Fridays to provide updates on the situation in Gaza.   AFSC Action Hour: Ceasefire Now – Google Docs

Palestine Children’s Relief Fund  was founded in 1991 by concerned humanitarians in the USA and provides free medical care for Palestinian children.

Watch Born in Gaza (2014) on Netflix — filmed in Gaza after the Israeli military operation in 2014.

U.N. Special Rapporteur on human rights in Palestine is Francesca Albanese.  Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967 | OHCHR

More resources forthcoming upon request.  Contact Lora Lucero 505-453-3938 or LoraLucero3@gmail.com