Letters to the Editor

Human Rights for Who?

Alexandria prides itself as a bastion of human rights, and our council

members constantly remind voters of their commitments to equity and

justice for all. 

I therefore find it ironic and incredibly disappointing that the city

council has made no effort to respond to the statement passed by its own Human Rights Commission on March 20, without opposition, in support of a ceasefire resolution. Not one council member made a public statement in support of Palestinians or Palestinian-Alexandrians. The council won’t allow a resolution on the agenda, despite a ceasefire

recommendation from the body to whom the city entrusts deliberation

around human rights.

As deaths at the hands of Israeli Occupation Forces pass the 34,000 mark and the starvation of Palestinians continues, calling for an

unconditional ceasefire is no longer radical. Over 132 municipalities in

the U.S. have called for a ceasefire, including Harrisonburg and

Charlottesville. Normally Alexandria leads. Why not now?

The mayor has repeated that he “do[es]n’t think the Alexandria City

Council should be in the business of weighing in on the conduct of

international conflicts.” Yet, in the aftermath of Oct. 7, the city

decided to light up city hall in Israeli colors, of which the mayor

tweeted a photo, captioned “Alexandria City Hall is lit in the Blue and

White as we stand with Israel and against the murderous terrorism of

Hamas.”

Clearly, our city’s leaders have no problem speaking out on

international issues when they feel morally compelled to do so. What

isn’t compelling about genocide and apartheid faced by the people in

Palestine? Our city’s leaders claim to be committed to human rights for

all Alexandrians, until those Alexandrians are Palestinians with friends

and family members slaughtered and starved using our tax dollars. This

is textbook hypocrisy coming from our city's leaders.

Amanda Eisenhour, 

Alexandria for Palestinian Human Rights