LETTER: Petition urges Select Board to pass Gaza ceasefire resolution

Waterbury neighbors,

Many of you have seen a petition circulating in the community calling on the Waterbury Select Board to adopt a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. If you haven’t seen that petition and would like to sign it, you can find it at change.org/WaterburyCeasefire. I, along with other Waterbury community members, started this petition because we believe that there needs to be an immediate end to the violence in Gaza and the West Bank. 

In the eight months since Hamas killed 1,139 Israelis on Oct. 7, the Israeli military has killed more than 36,000 Palestinians, primarily in Gaza but also in the West Bank. More than 15,000 children have been killed in the bombings. All residents of Gaza now face extreme hunger and more than 25 children have died of starvation due to the blockade of basic necessities. More than 100 journalists, 101 United Nations staff members, and senev staff members of the World Central Kitchen have been killed in the Gaza bombardment. 

You may be thinking, “the violence in Gaza has nothing to do with me – why would Waterbury ever pass this?” Unfortunately, Vermont is connected to this issue in more ways than one. The Vermont State Police, which the Town of Waterbury has a contract with, had ties to the Israeli Defense Forces and faced public backlash in 2018 over an invitation by the IDF to train in Israel. General Dynamics is manufacturing some of the weapons that are killing civilians in Gaza right down the road in Williston. Beyond that, every single Waterbury adult pays the federal taxes that are being used to send more and more weaponry and military support to Israel. This genocide would not be possible without the support of the U.S. and our taxes. The fact of the matter is that the United States could stop the bombings and violence in Gaza within days if it felt enough political pressure to do so.

In February, the Vermont Legislature sent a letter to President Biden to call for a permanent ceasefire, which included all three of Waterbury's State Senators (Ann Cummings, Andrew Perchlik and Anne Watson). Both U.S. Sen. Peter Welch, D-Vt., and Rep. Becca Balint, D-Vt., have called for a ceasefire as well. Waterbury may just be one small town in Vermont, but we can join the chorus of many other cities and towns across the globe, including at least a dozen other Vermont towns, in demanding an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza. 

As of the time of writing, the petition has dozens of signatures and while there is no set number of signees needed or deadline to bring the petition to the board, we would like to get it signed by as many Waterbury residents as possible as soon as possible. Before creating this petition, I inquired with the Select Board about getting some time on the agenda to discuss the proposed resolution. Unfortunately, the board is limited on time and as they had not heard from any other constituents about this issue, they determined that they would spend their time elsewhere. However, the Select Board is much more likely to add a Ceasefire Resolution to its agenda if it has significant community support.

If you are one of the many people who has found themselves horrified by the violence in Gaza, sign the petition and call on our elected representatives to demand a ceasefire. 

Thank you for your support for peace.

Mal Culbertson,

Waterbury