HR 37 - AS INTRODUCED
2026 SESSION
26-3161
04/09
HOUSE RESOLUTION 37
SPONSORS: Rep. Beauchemin, Hills. 3; Rep. A. Murray, Hills. 20; Rep. Butler, Straf. 12; Rep. H. Howard, Straf. 4
COMMITTEE: State-Federal Relations and Veterans Affairs
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ANALYSIS
This resolution recognizes the United Nations universal declaration of human rights and urges the responsible and moral oversight of and accountability for military equipment used by international allies, especially in Gaza.
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26-3161
04/09
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty-Six
Whereas, many members of our New Hampshire community originate in or have families who lived in or currently live in Israel-Palestine, have relatives or friends engaged in peace, coexistence, and shared society work in Israel-Palestine through nongovernmental organizations or business ventures, and feel personally responsible to prevent avoidable death and suffering when it is within our power individually or through political action toward our local and national governments;
Whereas, the state of New Hampshire house of representatives, a state authority subject to the constitution of the state of New Hampshire, and the United States of America, and answering to the conscience of its constituents, recognizes that international conventions among nations exist, and convene, to opine on and facilitate shared national agreement on fundamental issues of human rights, such as the United Nations General Assembly, the International Court, and the Geneva Convention;
Whereas, the state of New Hampshire house of representatives recognizes that the inherent dignity of, and the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world, and that the United Nations General Assembly has codified such principles as a standard of achievement in Paris on December 10, 1948 as the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights;
Whereas, on October 7, 2023, Hamas attacked a festival, killing 260 participants, precipitating a wave of further violent attacks claiming 1,139 Israeli lives, desecration of remains, and the taking of some 230 hostages;
Whereas, the Israeli military’s responding campaign of bombardment, siege and invasion in Gaza has resulted in the displacement of more than 85% of Gaza's 2,200,000 inhabitants, destroyed more than 70% of Gaza’s homes, severely damaged nearly every healthcare facility in Gaza, and has killed at least 34,000 Palestinians, 70 percent of whom are women and children;
Whereas, in the face of such mass atrocities, public outrage, fear and sustained trauma may drive such systems as are meant to govern collective behaviors beyond proportional response and into inescapable cycles of violence between such parties;
Whereas, military actions rendering Gaza uninhabitable likely amount to “collective punishment” under Article 33 of the 4th Geneva Convention, and the International Court, comprised of all but 6 nations, of which the United States and Israel are 2, having ordered Israel to take greater steps to preserve civilian lives, has been met with public defiance by Israel’s leaders;
Whereas, through their federal tax dollars, New Hampshire residents collectively, may indirectly contribute more than $1,300,000 per year to the Israeli military without formal informed consent, yet vote in good faith to elect individuals to national office including the President of the United States, representatives in the House of Representatives and congressmen to United States’ Congress, to uphold the principles of our constitution, and by extension, to enact on our behalf policies expected to be in good standing with international law and the conscientious demands of humanity;
Whereas, it is evident that Israel benefits from exceptional United States’ financial support and military equipment, and has evidently leveraged these to engage in a disproportionate and indiscriminate military campaign against the people of Gaza;
Whereas, New Hampshire is composed of residents with direct family relationships and bonds of kinship with civilians and families that have suffered grievously on both sides of this conflict;
Whereas, New Hampshire honors its members enrolled in military service, who are sworn to uphold the principles of our Constitution, our nation, and our way of life and have offered their service, safety and security as surety for such, honors their families who support them, and welcomes businesses and such entities as provision them for the purpose of defending our ideals;
Whereas, New Hampshire is a state that has in the past been able to model for other places in the United States debate and connection across political differences, as the American diaspora communities connected to Israel-Palestine have often played a key role from this country in modeling coexistence, dialogue, and democratic values for people in Israel-Palestine; and
Whereas, the state of New Hampshire’s federal representative delegation is obligated morally and legally to represent the urgent humanitarian and diplomatic interests of residents of the state of New Hampshire; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives:
That the state of New Hampshire house of representatives recognizes and endorses the principles of the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the state of New Hampshire pledges to support people in our state who have claims of antisemitism, Islamophobia, or anti-Arab racism, whether legally actionable or not.
Be it further resolved that the state of New Hampshire house of representatives calls on our President and our federal representative delegation to demand more responsible oversight of United States’ military aid packages and all arms distribution to Israel and other international allies, and to leverage such agreements to require that such partners recognize and comply with international law governing the protection of civilians in war zones.
Be it further resolved that the state of New Hampshire house of representatives expresses sincere solidarity with the innocent victims of violence overseas, and denounces any rise in Islamophobia, antisemitism, and anti-Palestinian sentiment, and encourages respectful, productive dialogue on matters of international disagreement.
Dec. 2, 2025: Introduced 01/07/2026 and referred to State-Federal Relations and Veterans Affairs