New York should join with the international community in calling for a immediate halt to the attacks in Gaza and Israel, and for the protection of all local residents.

There is never any justification for attacking civilians and the Green Party has always condemned any such action by any side.

Peace in the Middle East has for far too long been elusive. The path to peace must ultimately be forged by Israelis and Palestinians. Unfortunately the US has failed to play a productive and even handed role in trying to promote a just and fair resolution to the conflict there. 

The Green Party supports justice, basic democratic and human rights, and a life free from the threat of violence for all people in Israel and the Occupied territories. It is unfortunate the Governor Cuomo and many New York officials turn a blind eye to the terrible living conditions, deaths and daily humiliations that exist in Gaza and the West Bank. According to recent reports, the Palestinian death toll from the present attacks has passed 200, with 80% of the dead believed to be civilians. The occupation by Israel of Palestine must end, while the safety of Israel and its citizens must also be guaranteed.

As the American Friends Service Committee recently stated, "it is now clear that these Israeli military operations are being carried out as collective punishment and to weaken Hamas, undermine the Palestinian reconciliation process, and forestall any changes in the Palestinian status quo."

Bishop Desmond Tutu, the Nobel Peace laureate, has criticized Israeli policies toward the Palestinians in the territories as "humiliating."

"In South Africa, we could not have achieved our democracy without the help of people around the world, who through the use of non-violent means, such as boycotts and divestment, encouraged their governments and other corporate actors to reverse decades-long support for the apartheid regime. Those who turn a blind eye to injustice actually perpetuate injustice. If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. It doesn't matter where we worship or live. We are members of one family, the human family, God's family."

Since 2005 the Green Party of the United States has endorsed a comprehensive strategy of boycott and divestment that would pressure the government of Israel to guarantee human rights for Palestinians.

I call for an end to the current violence and obstacles to peace, such as settlement construction, home demolitions, and individual acts of violence by any and all parties. We need to support a just and lasting peace based on equality, freedom, and justice for both Palestinians and Israelis.