OKLAHOMA CITY — State Rep. Mauree Turner, D-OKC, released the following statement in response to a House resolution supporting Israel in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine.

“As the representative of House District 88, my job is to advocate for constituents and to create a better quality of life for all Oklahomans. It is the job of every elected official in this building to do the same. Additionally, in order to not repeat our mistakes, we must do so with our history in mind.

“We had months to dig deep and protect families in Oklahoma from evictions, lack of access to healthcare, to boost affordable housing, aid in uplifting our public education system, all of which is felt deeply in rural OK – but we didn’t. Instead, we decided to raise fees in pawnshops, create new crimes, attack the First Amendment rights of community members fighting to be heard, and strip away access to healthcare.

“We heard the supporters of this bill believe in peace, but this resolution proves otherwise.

“We can promote peace without aiding in the suffering of the Palestinian people, the murder of the Palestinian people.

“I really hoped that we would be able to see the direct connection between what’s happening in Jerusalem to the Palestinian people and what European settlers, armed with scripture and their interpretation of the Christian faith, did to the indigenous people here in America.

“This House Resolution is not a statement of peace but support for large acts of violence against Palestinian people. Effectively, by singling out support for only one side of this conflict, this resolution encourages state-sanctioned violence against its own people.”