Page 16 THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Friday, June 21, 2024 ~ Guest Commentary ~ Malden has a key role to play in pushing Biden and Clark for Ceasefire. There is no time to waste. By Lara Jirmanus, MD, MPH O ne million Palestinians may die of starvation by mid-July, according to UN agencies, because Israel is using starvation as a weapon of war. Our neighbors in Somerville, Medford, Melrose and Boston passed ceasefire resolutions. But the Malden City Council resolution stops short of calling for ceasefire. It merely “supports the work of Biden and the UN Security Council to broker a bilateral, lasting ceasefire.” Why does it matter how our humble city votes? Location, location, location. We would be the third city in Representative Katherine Clark’s district to call for ceasefire. Clark is one of the top Democratic Party leaders. Her staff literally sit in meetings with Biden and Netanyahu’s teams negotiating political and military objectives. But the current language would not push her at all. In fact, it’s strikingly similar to her tweet from March: “The United States, and the world, must continue to push the ceasefire negotiations…” Biden has disparaged Netanyahu for months, while sending billions of our tax dollars in weapons to Israel. Last week, as Biden proposed a ceasefire agreement, American forces allowed Israel to use the US “humanitarian pier” to smugglesoldiers into a Palestinian refugee camp and massacre 274 Palestinians to rescue 4 Israelis, who would have been released in a ceasefire agreement. I’m sure my fellow parents, teachers, and really any other human will concur, when warnings aren’t followed with consequences, behavior doesn’t change. Malden taxpayers send nearly a million dollars to Israel a year. That money could be used for schools, to fix roads, or address countless local issues. Two out of three Americans have supported ceasefire in Gaza since October, including over 80% of Democrats. Over half of US residents supported ending military aid to Israel in a March poll. So why did our elected officials vote to send over $17 billion more to Israel in April? Our investment in Israel’s military already means this issue is profoundly local, but it also touches members of the Malden community. My sister’s husband, who is a Palestinian Christian, had 9 members of his family killed in Gaza when they were sheltering in the historic St. Porphyrius Church, which was bombed in October. The Malden mosque is hosting 2 funeral prayers a day, just to mourn members' relatives in Gaza. An immediate, lasting ceasefire, along the lines of the current ceasefire deal which Biden proposed could be a meaningful first step to peace. Our City Council must send a clear message, to Clark and Biden. A UN investigation has just found Israel guilty of “crimes of extermination in Gaza.”If another million Palestinians die from forced starvation next month, there will be blood on all our hands. In December, Netanyahu instructed an aide to explore ways to “thin out” the population of Gaza. With over 100,000 dead or injured Palestinians in a mere 8 months, he seems to be achieving this goal. Do we support that? If not, the answer should be simple and needs to be said loud and clear. Ceasefire now. New Group Raises Awareness of Islamic Terror and Slavery in Africa W ASHINGTON, D.C. — Many Americans are unaware that terror attacks, like the October 7 massacre of Israelis, are committed every few days in Africa against innocent Christians and moderate Muslims. In Nigeria, Sudan, and other African nations, Islamists routinely converge upon villages while burning, raping, murdering, abducting, and enslaving the innocent inhabitants. Because they have been shockingly ignored and under-reported in the West, these ongoing atrocities in Africa have been called a “silent genocide.” The African-Jewish Alliance was formed to bring awareness to the shared origin of these crimes against humanity: the Islamist supremacist ideology which motivates Hamas in Gaza, Boko Haram in Nigeria, the Janjaweed and its derivatives in Darfur, and many other actors throughout Africa. All operate in the same manner: raids, murder, torture, burning, rape, and abBeacon Hill Roll Call By Bob Katzen GET A FREE SUBSCRIPTION TO MASSTERLIST – Join more than 22,000 people, from movers and shakers to political junkies and interested citizens, who start their weekday morning with MASSterList—the popular newsletter that chronicles news and informed analysis about what’s going on up on Beacon Hill, in Massachusetts politics, policy, media and influence. The stories are drawn from major news organizations as well as specialized publications. MASSterlist will be e-mailed to you FREE every Monday through Friday morning and will give you a leg up on what’s happening in the blood sport of Bay State politics. For more information and to get your free subscription, go to: https://lp. constantcontactpages.com/su/ aPTLucKs THE HOUSE AND SENATE:Beacon Hill Roll Call records local representatives’ and senators’ votes on roll calls from the week of June 10-14. REVENGE PORN AND TEEN SEXTING (H 4744) House 155-0, Senate 38-0, approved and sent to Gov. Maura Healey a bill that would prohibit the posting of sexually explicit images of another person online without their permission— commonly referred to as “revenge porn.” The practice is often used by ex-spouses or ex-partners. Massachusetts is one of only two states that does not have a law about this crime. The measure makes it illegal to break this new law and establishes a sentence of up to 2.5 years in prison and/or a fine of up to $10,000; increases the upper limit of the fine for criminal harassment from $1,000 to $5,000; allows a victim to petition the court for a harassment prevention order against a person who has violated this statute; and extends the statute of limitations to pursue criminal charges for certain domestic violence offenses from six years to 15 years. duction of innocents for ransom or use as slaves. The slaughter and kidnapping of Israeli Jews is but one arm of a global jihadist movement that extends to Africa and beyond. On June 25 and 26, the African-Jewish Alliance will host a groundbreaking summit in which representatives from the African and Jewish communities will join U.S. officials and journalists in raising awareness of this silent genocide, as well to expose the ideological conThe measure adds coercive control to the definition of abuse. Coercive control is a nonphysical form of abuse that includes a pattern of behavior intended to threaten, intimidate, harass, isolate, control, coerce or compel compliance of a family or household member in a manner that causes the targeted individual to fear physical harm or to have a reduced sense of physical safety or autonomy. Examples of coercive control include threatening to share explicit images, regulating or monitoring a family or household member’s communications and access to services, and isolating a family or household member from friends or relatives. Another provision changes current law under which minors, under 18 years of age, who share explicit images of themselves or other minors, can be charged with violating Massachusetts child pornography laws and are required to register with the Sex Offender Registry. The bill allows minors to be diverted to an educational program that would provide them with information about the consequences of posting or transmitting indecent nections between the “free Palestine” movement in the U.S. and Islamic terrorism in Africa and Israel. The event will be held on June 25 at 10 A.M., in Room 2255 of the Rayburn House Office Building, and at the same time June 26 at the National Press Club. Attendees include: • Frank Wolf, Former U.S. Representative for Virginia (1981 – 2015) • Dr. Charles Jacobs, African visual depictions of minors. “The House has heard the urgent call of survivors to enhance protections and ensure that our laws keep up with technology,” said Rep. Mike Day (D-Stoneham), House chair of the Judiciary Committee and lead House sponsor of the measure. “But the House does not just listen, we act.” “After so many years of hard work, we are finally at a stage where we can bring closure to those who continue to suffer the consequences, and live under the threat of, revenge pornography and abusive control,” said Sen. John Keenan (D-Quincy), lead Senate sponsor of the legislation. “We are sending a message that this kind of activity will not be tolerated in our commonwealth … Once this bill is signed into law, we will be able to rectify and prevent so many injustices across Massachusetts.” (A “Yes” vote is for the bill.) Rep. Paul Donato Yes Rep. Steven UltrinoYes Sen. Jason Lewis Yes PARENTING (H 4762) Jewish Alliance • Stephen Enada, International Committee on Nigeria • Simon Deng, former slave from South Sudan • Dumisani Washington, Institute for Black Solidarity with Israel • Olga Meshoe Washington, Institute for Black Solidarity with Israel • Faith McDonnell, Katartismos Global • Rabbi Abraham Cooper, Simon Wiesenthal Center House 156-0, approved and sent to the Senate a bill that supporters say would ensure legal parentage equality by protecting LGBTQ+ families, and children born through surrogacy and assisted reproduction, in forming the legal bond of a parent-child relationship. Supporters said that parental rights and responsibilities are broad and include the ability to attend and make decisions during medical appointments, manage a child’s finances, participate in educational decisions and provide authorizations for a child’s travel. They noted that while Massachusetts legalized same-sex marriage 20 years ago, LGBTQ+ residents continue to face significant barriers in obtaining full legal recognition as a parent. “Today marks a major advancement in the reinforcement of equal rights for LGBTQ+ families in the commonwealth, assuring that children born through assisted reproduction and surrogacy have a clear route to establish their legal parentage,” said Rep. Kay Khan (D-Newton), a lead sponsor of the bill. “A BHRC| SEE PAGE 17
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