Bill Text: TX HR76 | 2023 | 88th Legislature 4th Special Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Urging Governor Greg Abbott to utilize all available means to achieve a cease-fire in Gaza.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2023-11-20 - Filed [HR76 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-HR76-Introduced.html
| 88S40636 KSM-F | ||
| By: Bhojani | H.R. No. 76 | |
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| WHEREAS, On October 7, 2023, Hamas militants based in Gaza | ||
| attacked southern Israel, murdering approximately 1,200 people and | ||
| seizing over 230 hostages; the cruel assault was met with worldwide | ||
| condemnation; and | ||
| WHEREAS, The international community also deplores the | ||
| increasingly catastrophic response by the Israeli government; its | ||
| relentless campaign of air strikes has laid waste to entire | ||
| neighborhoods, including homes, schools, hospitals, and places of | ||
| worship; more than two-thirds of the population is displaced and | ||
| over 11,100 Gazans have died, among them 4,500 children and | ||
| thousands of women and seniors; this terrible death toll surpasses | ||
| the number of children killed in conflict zones around the world | ||
| each year since 2019, according to humanitarian organization Save | ||
| the Children; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Over 28,000 Gazans have been injured and the health | ||
| care system is collapsing; conditions in the region are growing | ||
| ever more dire, with dwindling access to food, clean water, | ||
| electricity, fuel, and communications; many Texans are wracked with | ||
| worry for relatives trapped in Gaza, and compassionate people the | ||
| world over fear for their plight, as well as for Israeli hostages | ||
| held by Hamas in dangerous locations; and | ||
| WHEREAS, We recognize that the Muslim, Jewish, and Christian | ||
| communities, as the Abrahamic faiths, are impacted and devastated | ||
| by the recent conflict in the Palestinian Territories of Gaza and | ||
| the West Bank, and Israel; and | ||
| WHEREAS, The State of Texas encompasses one of the most | ||
| socio-demographically diverse regions in the country, with | ||
| thriving Muslim, Jewish, and Christian communities, and is home to | ||
| hundreds of synagogues, mosques, and churches; the coalition | ||
| between Muslims, Jews, and Christians plays a fundamental role in | ||
| joining diverse communities and leveraging their strength to deal | ||
| with this conflict through extensive interfaith and community | ||
| engagement efforts; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Tensions in the Middle East have provided fuel for | ||
| those who would stoke prejudice and division, particularly among | ||
| communities that are connected to this ongoing conflict; and | ||
| WHEREAS, In Texas, local Arab, Muslim, and Jewish communities | ||
| are facing increased physical and verbal assaults and intimidation | ||
| due to heightened Islamophobia and antisemitism; these threats have | ||
| been made clear in recent years through such incidents as the murder | ||
| of a Muslim South Asian pediatrician in Conroe and the mass shooting | ||
| in Allen by a Nazi sympathizer; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Governor Greg Abbott and other officials have spoken | ||
| out forcefully against antisemitism and in support of Israel's | ||
| right to defend itself; Arab, South Asian, and Muslim communities | ||
| are increasingly frustrated and dismayed by the Abbott | ||
| administration's muted reaction to Islamophobia in Texas and by the | ||
| failure to call for a cease-fire in Gaza; these communities have | ||
| become more civically engaged in our democracy, as acceptance of | ||
| diversity has expanded, but silence in the face of mass civilian | ||
| casualties in Gaza and rising bigotry in our state leaves members | ||
| alienated and disheartened; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Governor Abbott has demonstrated his influence in | ||
| addressing the ongoing conflict, as evidenced by his assertive | ||
| measures, including the allocation of funds to 31 Jewish | ||
| organizations with the purpose of security enhancements and his | ||
| personal visit to the region; now, therefore, be it | ||
| RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas | ||
| Legislature, 4th Called Session, hereby: | ||
| 1. Urge Governor Greg Abbott to utilize all available means | ||
| to achieve a cease-fire in Gaza; | ||
| 2. Mourn the lives lost and the destruction, both physical | ||
| and emotional, in the region known as the Holy Land, which holds | ||
| religious significance and reverence in all three Abrahamic faiths; | ||
| 3. Grieve for our community members and all those throughout | ||
| the United States who are emotionally connected to this conflict or | ||
| have family and relatives in the Holy Land; | ||
| 4. Condemn the rising antisemitism, Islamophobia, and | ||
| objectionable rhetoric and rising hate in our communities; | ||
| 5. Believe that the diversity of our state is our strength | ||
| but the social bonds we create and nourish are our power; and | ||
| 6. Seek understanding, respect, and recognition of our pain | ||
| through peaceful and civil discourse to set an example for other | ||
| communities to follow. | ||
