Will Hanover join the Apartheid-Free Zone?
It is our understanding that there may be a vote at the May12 Hanover town meeting on the Apartheid-Free Communities pledge apartheid-free.org. We are writing in support of this initiative!
We are from Thetford, which like Hartford, Vershire and other towns north and south, have already passed this pledge in their town meetings. As a result, our town has now officially adopted an ethical procurement policy with standards from the American Friends Service Committee. This has allowed us to continue the process of organizing to end Israel’s apartheid system and military occupation which has led to the genocide of the Palestinians … and which is still ongoing.
The United States government has spent billions of dollars in military aid to Israel and on military operations in Yemen and the wider region. The current administration is requesting 1.5 trillion dollars in war spending at a time when Americans are having difficulties making ends meet and face ever-growing tax bills and loss of services.
In passing the AFC pledge, the people of Hanover will pledge to join others in working to “end all support for Israel’s apartheid system, settler colonialism, and military occupation.” As consumers, we have the power to make ethical and socially responsible choices when we become aware of abusive conditions in other places, juxtaposed against our own relative comfort. And by passing Apartheid-Free Communities pledge in our town, Thetford, we are resisting the corruption brought by the massive amounts of money spent by, and on the behalf of, the military industrial complex.
This letter was endorsed by members of the Thetford Pledge Group: Carole Petrillo, Henry Nichols and Lynne Rogers. Therefore, we are upholding our pledge by urging you in Hanover to join with us and to vote yes at town meeting on May 12.