by Guy Page
Just over a week after the Burlington City Council declined to support a pro-Palestine, anti-Israel resolution in the wake of the November 25 shooting of three Palestinian men on Prospect Street, signatures are being solicited for a ballot initiative condemning Israel as an “apartheid” regime, a Vermonter and backer of Israel warned.
The following email was received Wednesday from Yoram Samets, an active member of Jewish Communities of Vermont:
“As you know, we recently faced a challenging battle at the last Burlington City Council meeting, where a resolution under the guise of supporting three young Palestinian men shot in Burlington attempted to push an Israel/Hamas cease-fire agenda. Regrettably, rather than uniting to support those affected by the shooting and fostering peace, some members of the Burlington community chose to condemn Israel, deepening divisions, challenges, and fear for many.
“The defeat of this resolution has heightened the safety concerns in our community, as City Councilors who voted against it now face organized intimidation efforts. Unfortunately, we must now confront another threat—a petition for a ballot initiative against Israel, branding it an apartheid regime born out of settler colonialism and sustained through military occupation.
“This ballot item is not only anti-Israel and anti-Zionist but also profoundly antisemitic. We are launching a grassroots effort to persuade the City Council and the Mayor that this petition will only serve to fragment Chittenden County further and escalate fears among both our Muslim and Jewish communities. In these tense times, we believe we should focus on creating dialogue opportunities regarding the Middle East’s complexities.
“If this petition progresses from the City Council to a ballot item on Town Meeting Day, it will have no impact on Israel or Gaza but will negatively affect our children, young families, and our elders in the greater Burlington and Vermont communities. Our immediate efforts will concentrate on the upcoming January 16 Council meeting to prevent this petition from moving forward.
“We invite you to join our cause. We need your help. Leadership in all four area synagogues and Hillel are collaborating to oppose this initiative. Please let us know if you wish to be involved in any way. Our on-the-ground efforts have already begun. Together, we must work towards preserving the unity and well-being of our Vermont communities.
“Please share this email with others that you believe are concerned about the anti-Israel and antisemitism climate that is growing state-wide.”
Samets provided the language of the petition, which appears below.
Petition of Legal Voters of the City of Burlington to the City Council and Mayor
We, the undersigned legal voters of the City of Burlington, hereby petition the mayor and the City Council of the City of Burlington to add the following article to the warning for the annual meeting of the City of Burlington to be held on March 5, 2024.
Shall the voters of the City of Burlington advise the Mayor and the City Council to adopt the following pledge?
WE AFFIRM our commitment to freedom, justice, and equality for the Palestinian people and all people; and WE OPPOSE all forms of racism, bigotry, discrimination, and oppression; and
WE DECLARE ourselves an apartheid-free community, and to that end,
WE PLEDGE to join others in working to end all support to Israel’s apartheid regime, settler colonialism, and military occupation.
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