Communiqué
Conflict in the Middle - East : a concern of Mayors for Peace
The association Mayors for Peace wishes to express its profoundest concern regarding the situation currently prevailing
in the Middle-East, where cities and civilians are deeply affected by the hostilities.
Dr. Tadatoshi Akiba, Mayor of Hiroshima and President of Mayors for Peace, calls for an immediate ceasefire and an
urgent dialogue so that affected populations may live in peace, harmony, and justice.
On behalf of the Executive Cities of Mayors for Peace, Dr. Akiba declared:
"Cities Are Not Targets! The bombardment of cities and towns in Lebanon, Israel, and Palestine with artillery, rockets,
and bombs is unconscionable. The livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of innocent citizens are being destroyed. Hundreds
have been killed, thousands wounded, many just children. With excessive and indiscriminate firepower, military action
has lost all sense of proportion. Continued armed conflict cannot be condoned. There must be an immediate ceasefire.
"Everyone wants and deserves to live in dignity and security. The overriding imperative is to promote a dialogue among
all people in the region. Retaliation must be foresworn; reconciliation must be the touchstone. Peace is possible even
now."
'Cities Are Not Targets' refers to a project recently launched by Mayors for Peace to end the targeting of cities by
nuclear-armed states. Mayors for Peace opposes excessive and indiscriminate conventional attacks on cities not only
because they are immoral in and of themselves, but also because they weaken the taboo against the destruction of cities
with nuclear weapons that has prevailed since the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945.
Encouraged by a proposal from the Mayor of Montreal, Mr. Gerald Tremblay, the President of Mayors for Peace, with the
unanimous consent of the Executive Cities, is urgently calling for peace in the Middle East.
Mayors for Peace was founded in 1982 and now has a membership of 1,403 cities in 119 countries and regions throughout
the world. The Executive Committee, on behalf of all our member cities, hereby demands an immediate end to the violence
and a good-faith effort to resolve the conflicts to the satisfaction of all parties.
Tadatoshi Akiba President Mayor of Hiroshima (Japan)
Iccho Itoh Vice President Mayor of Nagasaki (Japan)
Herbert Schmalstieg Vice President Mayor of Hannover (Germany)
Catherine Margate Vice President Mayor of Malakoff (France)
James Ashley ¡¡ Vice President Lord Mayor of Manchester (UK)
Jaime R. Fresnedi Vice President Mayor of Muntinlupa (Philippines)
Evgeny P. Ishchenko Vice President Mayor of Volgograd (Russia)
Donald L. Plusquellic ¡¡¡¡ Vice President Mayor of Akron (USA)
Garry Moore Vice President Mayor of Christchurch (New Zealand)
Leonardo Domenici Vice President Mayor of Florence (Italy)
Patrik Vankrunkelsven Vice President Mayor of Laakdal (Belgium)
ENDS