Our Demands for Nov. 29th City Council Meeting
Palestine Rally held in Cincinnati on November 4, 2023 by Cincinnati Socialists.
Since its conception in 1917, on the land of Palestine, the Zionist settler colony of Israel has made it their mission to create a “national home for the Jewish people” through the displacement and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians, destruction of their villages, and the removal of any trace of Palestinian history and life predating the establishment of the State of Israel.
We stand in solidarity with the people of Palestine and all those who resist colonial forces by whatever means necessary. We condemn all indiscriminate violence against civilians. We insist that the Zionist apartheid project enlists all of its citizens as agents of the state, blurring the lines between combatant and civilian. We support those Israeli citizens who refuse to serve in the so-called Israel Defense Forces and support the millions of heroic Jews worldwide who reject Zionism entirely.
On Wednesday, November 29, 2023 Cincinnati Socialists and Students for Justice in Palestine, University of Cincinnati (SJP UC) will be at the Cincinnati City Council Meeting to request our demands be met.
These are our demands:
Adopt New Definition of Antisemitism
In March 2023, Cincinnati City Council voted to adopt a definition of antisemitism that includes the criticism of the State of Israel. We call on City Council to adopt the Jerusalem Declaration definition of antisemitism, which recognizes that criticism of Israel is not antisemitic. Identifying support for Palestine as antisemitism is nothing but an attempt to silence pro-Palestinian voices. While we stand opposed to antisemitism in all its forms, we insist that it is NOT antisemitic to uphold that the State of Israel is a settler-colonial apartheid state.
No Cincy Cops to Train in Israel
We demand that Cincinnati Police Department stop participating in programs that send Cincinnati cops to Israel to be trained in violent, discriminatory, repressive policing tactics. These practices include warfare tactics during civilian protests, racial profiling, mass surveillance, and deportation and detention - the likes of which many of us remember during the peaceful protests in the summer of 2020.
Official Statement from Council
We call on Cincinnati City Council to write an official statement condemning the atrocities committed by Israel, as well as calling for a permanent ceasefire. The people of Cincinnati stand with Palestine!