It’s easy to get lost in the Dartmouth bubble and block out the noise of the Upper Valley, to say nothing of the world — so it should come as no surprise to anyone that very few on campus are talking about, or even aware of, the apartheid-free communities resolution on the ballot today in Hartford, Vt. Just a ten-minute drive across the river, the town will vote today whether or not to adopt a pledge “to join others in working to end all support to Israel’s apartheid regime, colonialism and military occupation,” as part of the broader “Apartheid-Free Communities” movement being carried out across the country and around the world.
Though the Israel-Hamas war might seem like a distant issue to some in the Upper Valley, it hits closer to home than you might think. Five Vermont municipalities have so far signed onto the pledge, positioning Hartford to be the sixth if it passes. Hanover itself has already passed a resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. Some have questioned the efficacy of these resolutions, arguing that they have little to do with local governance or are merely symbolic.
Yet such arguments — which are common in discussions of activism around Israel-Palestine even outside of town resolutions — obscure the ethical urgency of distancing ourselves from systems of oppression in which we are complicit, as well as the position of local municipalities to effect change on this issue. Not only should the Dartmouth community support the Hartford Apartheid-Free Communities campaign, but we in Hanover should start our own Apartheid-Free initiative as well.
The situation in Israel-Palestine is becoming increasingly dire for Palestinians. Current Israeli politicians are openly discussing annexation plans while they rapidly expand settlements in the West Bank. Additionally, despite a “ceasefire” in Gaza, the status quo remains desperate and hope for actual reconstruction seems dim; as Gazan journalist Mohammed R. Mhawish has pointed out, the ceasefire “no longer describes a pause in violence but rather a mechanism for managing it.” Throughout all of this, the U.S. remains complicit in this terror through arms transfers to Israel and staggering corporate ties with the Israeli military.
In a recent piece in VTDigger, Francine Miller expresses the urgency of the situation well: “If it were 1942, and we were at a town meeting, I would want to express my horror at Nazi Germany and its murderous activities. In my opinion, the times we are in are the same for Palestinians.” Such expressions in America today are especially important, given that we are actively funding these ongoing crimes.
The Apartheid-Free Communities resolution represents one way we can productively channel that urgency into action. Though non-binding, taking this pledge can serve as a bridge to actions other municipalities have taken, such as boycotts and divestments. While such measures from local municipalities won’t be enough on their own to change Israel’s behavior, they are a productive step forward. By applying pressure from the ground up, this action offers hope for change in the worsening status quo.
Such actions are far from merely symbolic — U.S. citizens and their local representatives may very well play a decisive role in the future of Israel-Palestine as they put pressure on the federal government to change course on its largely unconditional support for Israel. Historically, the United States has served as a poor mediator between the two nations, often sidelining peace in Israel-Palestine in favor of other objectives in the region. This indifference was a contributing factor in the outbreak of Oct. 7 and the subsequent war and genocide in Gaza. For us to change course means to treat peace in Israel-Palestine as a top priority on the American political agenda, and the Apartheid-Free Communities movement is one way to get that process started. Change is possible, but it begins on the local level.
The “Dartmouth bubble” has long served as an excuse for political inactivity, but these excuses no longer hold water in the face of the crisis our leaders are perpetuating in the Middle East. Israel-Palestine is a local issue insofar as we are in the position to make meaningful change, not only as a United States municipality, but as a particularly influential one. As one of the five richest cities in New Hampshire, Hanover stands to make an outsourced impact on surrounding communities. Taking the pledge would help reverse the tide of increasing ties with Israel, as seen through the adoption of programs such as Kalaniyot, and would instead push local municipalities in the right direction: ending our complicity in the genocide of Palestinians.
I encourage all members of the Hanover community to join the campaign for Apartheid-Free communities, and to get the resolution on the ballot come this spring.
Kate Pressgrove is a member of the Class of 2029. Guest columns represent the views of their author(s), which are not necessarily those of The Dartmouth.
