Vermont HR 13: House resolution relating to the end of apartheid and support for the people of Palestine and Israel in the resolution of conflict

Bill Text

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State of Vermont
House of Representatives
Montpelier, Vermont
House Resolution
H.R. 13
Offered by Representatives Cina of Burlington, Cole of Hartford, Headrick
of Burlington, Logan of Burlington, McGill of Bridport, and Tomlinson of
Winooski
House resolution relating to the end of apartheid and support for the people
of Palestine and Israel in the resolution of conflict
Whereas, the cultural, historical, and ancestral connection to native lands is
an indispensable component of the human experience, and
Whereas, the region of Asia known since the 16
th century as “the Levant”
has been subject to colonization and oppression for millennia, with all peoples
within this region enduring generations of war, imperialism, and slavery, and
Whereas, the partitioning of Palestine following the expiration of the British
colonial mandate and the subsequent development of the two-state model has
operated as a platform for proxy conflict between foreign powers, which has
caused all occupants of the territory to endure violence and loss, and
Whereas, on September 16, 2025, the United Nations Human Rights
Council’s “Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied
Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel” published a legal
analysis of the conduct of the State of Israel in Gaza and concluded that Israeli
authorities had committed acts violating Article II, subsections (a), (b), and (c)
of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide
and that Israeli security forces have genocidal intent to destroy, in whole or in
part, Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, and
Whereas, the people of Palestine have been subjected to famine, denial of
medical care, and other humanitarian crises, and
Whereas, it is essential that our broader human community commit itself to
liberty, peace, fellowship, charity, justice, care for the marginalized, human
rights, and international law, and
Whereas, the State of Vermont has traditionally committed to trauma-
informed approaches to issue resolution, and
Whereas, the State of Vermont has historically opposed all forms of
apartheid and has taken action to divest itself from apartheid states, including
the enactment of 1986 Acts and Resolves No. 246, which removed State
investments and deposits in South Africa, and
Whereas, all of the cultures, nations, and peoples of the Levant have made
invaluable contributions to the well-being, prosperity, and enlightenment of

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humanity at large, and the stakes of continuing conflict and apartheid are an
issue of global concern, now therefore be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives:
That this legislative body affirms that all inhabitants of planet Earth are
born equally free and independent and have certain natural, inherent, and
inalienable rights, including enjoyment and defense of life and liberty;
possession and protection of property; and the pursuit and preservation of
happiness and safety. Accordingly, this legislative body calls for a global
ceasefire and an end to all war; the initiation of processes for truth and
reconciliation, reparation of harm, and promotion of recovery; support for the
people of both Palestine and Israel in the resolution of conflict; and the end of
apartheid, and be it further
Resolved: That the Clerk of the House be directed to send a copy of this
resolution to the president of the United States, Donald J. Trump; president of
Israel, Isaac Herzog; president of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas;
Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres; and the Vermont
Congressional Delegation.