PUTNEY-I strongly oppose Article II on the Brattleboro's Annual Town Meeting Australian ballot on Tuesday, March 4, which falsely defines Israel as an apartheid state. This claim is not only untrue but has no place on the town ballot. Our local government must uphold integrity and refuse to entertain baseless accusations.
Israel is a pluralistic, multicultural democracy where Muslims, Jews, Christians, and others participate as equals in every aspect of society. The one exception is that Jews and Christians are not allowed to pray at the Temple Mount in Jerusalem - a restriction imposed by the Islamic Waqf, not the Israeli government.
All measures of local governance must be based on facts. Article II fails this test and would only harm our community. Its passage would embolden antisemitic voices that have already appeared in local opinion pages.
Vermont's Jewish residents are telling us they feel unsafe. This article would make them feel even more isolated and unsupported while doing nothing to address a complex conflict happening half a world away.
For these reasons, I urge voters to reject Article II and call on the town to deem it invalid for the ballot.
Tehila Marks
Putney
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