Connecting Ceasefire Commitments

Lakeshore has long prayed and worked for an end to gun violence on the streets of Oakland and for over two years we have prayed and worked for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza. As an extension of these commitments, Lakeshore recently endorsed the Oakland Arms Embargo, working to end the practice of shipping weapons to Israel through the Oakland airport. If you have not yet done so, I encourage you to sign the petition to support and end to this practice.

I am happy to report that Oakland mayor Barbra Lee’s office has recently confirmed she opposes military cargo shipments passing through OAK. Lakeshore partner Interfaith 4 Palestine put out a call this week to contact Mayor Lee to ask her to publicly support the Oakland Arms Embargo campaign and call on the Port Commission (who she appoints) to end all military cargo shipments through the Oakland airport to Israel.

You can support these efforts in two ways. First, sign the petition in support of the Oakland Arms Embargo campaign, if you haven’t done so already. Second, call Mayor Lee’s office (510) 238-3141, encouraging her to make her commitment public, with the script below. If you are able to make a phone call, please let me know so I can track Lakeshore’s support.

Thank you for taking action to support our commitment to ceasefire from Oakland to Gaza.

Pastor Allison

Sample Call Script or Voicemail:

My name is [NAME], and as a member of Lakeshore Avenue Baptist Church and an [Oakland/East Bay] resident I want to thank Mayor Lee for her stance against militarized cargo being shipped to Israel via OAK.

I urge the Mayor to post her statement publicly to communicate her position against Oakland’s complicity in genocide to all of Oakland’s communities.

With her statement, Mayor Lee is standing with Oakland’s social justice values, along with labor, faith leaders, small businesses and thousands of her constituents who are against our city being a hub for military cargo going to kill tens of thousands of Palestinians.

Thank you, and we look forward to the Mayor’s ongoing support as our campaign continues to work with the Board of Port Commissioners to end these deadly military shipments.