Whereas, All human life is precious and the targeting of non-combatants in a conflict zone is a violation of Rule 1 of customary International Humanitarian Law; [1]
Whereas, Between October 7 and December 2, 2023, armed violence has claimed the lives of more than 13,000 Palestinians and some 1,200 Israelis, and wounded tens of thousands more, the vast majority of which are civilians;
Whereas, Hundreds of thousands of lives are at imminent risk if a permanent ceasefire is not achieved and humanitarian aid is not delivered without delay;
Whereas, Roughly half of the Palestinians killed or wounded during the violence in Gaza are children and International Humanitarian Law requires that all parties to an armed conflict protect children and prevent the commission of grave violations against them, including killing and maiming, attacks on schools and hospitals, recruitment and use of children, abduction of children, and denial of humanitarian access; [2]
Whereas, These children and their families face further imminent threats due to Israeli
government restrictions on food, water, fuel, and other humanitarian assistance being able to reach them;
Whereas, The dismantling of Hamas, a recognized terrorist organization, cannot and should not be achieved at the expense of innocent lives; and
Whereas, The United States Federal Government holds immense diplomatic power to save both Palestinian and Israeli lives; now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the State Central Committee of the Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi calls on the
members of the Hawaiʻi Congressional Delegation to support the Ceasefire Now Resolution introduced by Representative Cori Bush; and to insist that the Biden Administration call for an immediate, permanent ceasefire, to facilitate the de-escalation of hostilities to end the current violence, to promptly send and facilitate the entry of humanitarian assistance into Gaza, including fuel, food, water, medical supplies, and to begin negotiations for a lasting peace; and be it
Ordered, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the offices of the members of the Hawaiʻi Congressional Delegation, the U.S. House Minority Leader, President Joe Biden, as well as the chair of the Democratic National Committee.
Adopted via unanimous vote on December 2, 2023
[1] International Committee of the Red Cross, “Rule 1, The Principle of Distinction between Civilians and Combatants,” ICRC Study on Customary International Humanitarian Law, Volume I (Rules), 2005, Cambridge University Press
[2] International Committee of the Red Cross, “Rule 135, Children,” ICRC Study on Customary International Humanitarian Law, Volume I (Rules), 2005, Cambridge University Press
GaryHooser's Blog 
Unbelievably, the U.S. agreed to let Israel murder innocent people!
Totally believable. Now we are sending “bunker busters.” Senseless.
But the United States government, including the entire Democratic Party, are capitalists protecting capitalist interests. Where others see a religious war, or ethnic cleansing, I only see killing in the interests of the oligarchy and nouveau uber-capitalists. As long as they can keep people distracted they will continue to control the landscape, pumping oil and selling guns.
Itʻs about profit. People are incidental, collateral damage to maintain capitalist domination.
Palestinians are to Israel what Hawaiians are to the United States. The Hawaiians have already been decimated, dispossessed and displaced to make way for corporate interests. In Palestine, colonialism continues to play out the decisions of a hundred years ago.
Because the power of Israel includes the military might of the United States, there really is no way this is going to end well for the Palestinians. Israel will be forever stained and the United States will dance on into the dregs of despotism.
The Unites States never was a democracy, anyway. Your choices at the federal level all serve the same money masters. So unless you are in the top 5%, they donʻt serve you.
So, for them, this war wonʻt end until everybody is dead.
Only the killing remains.
I believe the Hawaii Democratic Party deserves credit for being only one of two states in the US to take a formal stance demanding a permanent ceasefire and more. While it may not be enough it is a pretty big step that the local Party is taking. I agree that corporatists are in charge locally and globally but also know that we must push back and if we do so and continue to do so, we can and will make our community and our world a better place. Especially at the local level. Our local communities are small enough where we can actually “take back” our local governments and use that power and authority to hold the local bad actors accountable. But we of course are not there yet. We can get there I think…but still got a ways to go.
Unbelievably, there are female Israeli hostages still in Hamas captivity, whom in accordance with American intelligence will not be released because they have been extensively raped and beaten so badly, Hamas does not want their stories told. Many are probably already murdered. That is what is “unbelievable.”
You have access to “in accordance with American intelligence”? Please post a link confirming this. If true the perpetrators should of course be held accountable. But this still does not warrant killing tens of thousands of innocent civilians. The ends do not justify the means. Killing many to punish a few is not the answer.
It’s unbelievable that it took you 56 days to request a ceasefire on civilians.
This is Hawaii, a nation familiar with coups and the consequences of colonization, the Hawaiian culture, language, and people fought to preserve what was lost in 1893 when the monarchy fell.
Now, history repeats as Palestine faces bombardment, resulting in the loss of lives, culture, and history. Hawaii understands this pain, and we should have been demanding a ceasefire from day 1.
This is not my Resolution but that proposed by the Democratic Party of Hawaii which I supported. I agree it should/could have come much earlier but am pleased that it was introduced and did pass…one of only two such Democratic Party Resolutions in America that has passed. FYI: I wrote about my position on the killing of civilians many weeks ago…11 days after it started – https://garyhooser.blog/2023/10/18/what-can-we-do-to-stop-the-madness/
I agree, and it is organizations like HAPA and Maui Pono Network and HULI PAC that are leading that effort to grow and support strong alternative candidates to replace corrupt incumbents in our county governments and politics.
Imagine you share a house with a bully that lords over you. This bully then goes out and murders and rapes another man’s family. This man is much stronger than the bully and plans to retaliate, but to do so must destroy the house you share. What should you do? What should the man do? What should happen to the bully?
I think I understand where you are going with this…but the ends do not justify the means. Killing the bully is one thing, but killing the bully’s family, and his neighbors, and other innocent people who happen to be in the same neighborhood, or go to the same hospital, or attend the same place of worship…is wrong.
I am torn on what the victim should do, as I also agree the ends do not justify the means. I am more curious what, if anything, you think the man (who lives with the bully) should do?
Mahalo for the thoughtful discussion….my thoughts at the moment…The man who lives with the bully could move if the other man (who is attacking the bully) would let him, but it seems there is no where to go and the borders are blocked. Even when he moves next door or down the street or across town…he is attacked because he is associated with the bully. The man who attacks the bully becomes a bully himself and so the man who lives with the bully is caught between two bully’s with no where safe to go. So…the man that lives with the bully must find some other man or woman or several men or women who must separate the two bully’s and tell both bully’s to back off and stop being bully’s and offer the man living with the bully a safe place to live with food, water and medical help…Each bully has their own history that drives their hostility and in order to stop being bully’s each must feel safe and each must have their own space to live and work…..I am certainly no expert on peacemaking or reconciliation. Perhaps we can all learn from Nelson Mandela who seemed to have navigated and avoided this type of endless circle of violence and hostility when South Africa transitioned from an apartheid driven nation. I don’t have an answer but no killing the innocents is not it..