The Rockford City Council voted against a ceasefire resolution in the ongoing conflict in the Middle East at its latest full city council meeting.
When the tally of the failed vote for the ceasefire resolution was read out -- two ayes and 11 no's - some in the crowd shouted in protest.
“Shame, shame,” and “Free Palestine,” supporters yelled out.
The city hall chamber was filled with a majority of those for the resolution, as was the overflow space set up in the hall where folks watched the city council proceedings on a tv monitor.
Bu there were those who were satisfied with the result of the vote, including Roni Golan, an Israeli-American and local gallery owner, and Goldie Pekarsky, the executive Director of the Jewish Federation of Greater Rockford. They both spoke against the resolution during the city council meeting.
“It really is not something that city council should even be talking about,” Pekarsky said, “because it's international affairs, but basically a cease fire means Israel stops fighting and Hamas wins.”
Regarding concerns for the rising death toll especially on women and children in Gaza due to Israel’s military campaign, Pekarsky dismissed it.
“The number of deaths in this war is actually a lot lower than many wars,” she said, “because Israel does have a very moral army. Every death is a catastrophe, but a strategy for Hamas.”
United Nations officials have condemned Hamas’ attack on October 7 and condemn Israel’s ongoing military assault in Gaza and Lebanon. Over 43,000 Palestinian civilians, the majority women and children, have been killed. Some researchers estimate the number to be in the hundreds of thousands due to death by starvation and lack of medical care. In contrast, the Ukrainian government says that around 12,000 civilians have been killed in the Ukraine-Russia war.
Israel’s expansion of the conflict in Lebanon in its war with Hezbollah has claimed over 3,000 lives, according to reports.
UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese, who's tasked with investigating human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, said Israel is following “a pattern of conduct indicative of genocidal intent.” During a UN press conference in October, she said the U.S. is “an enabler” of Israel’s violence with its ongoing military support for the Israeli government.
The U.S. and Israel dispute the charge.
“There is no genocide in Israel,” Pekarsky said. “There is no apartheid in Israel. Israel are not colonial settlers. So that is all antisemitic propaganda.”
This contradicts what the United Nations and human rights groups, such as Human Rights Watch, and International Amnesty, have reported.
Community members from all backgrounds including from the Palestinian and Jewish community have advocated for a passage of a ceasefire resolution for nearly a year.
Lamis Diab, with Rockford for Palestine, which has been spearheading the effort said, “This is just a very interesting concept to think that people in the city of Rockford don't care about human lives within the city of Rockford and outside of the city of Rockford.”
Supporters of a ceasefire resolution, like artist David Stocker, said they were disappointed but not surprised by the outcome. He said city council members don’t bring their humanity to the meetings.
“They bring their agendas,” he said, “they bring their ambitions, they bring their shame." "It's an embarrassment for Rockford, honestly.”
Alderpersons Jeff Bailey, Gabrielle Torina, Aprel Prunty, and Bill Rose voted in favor of the resolution moving out of the Legislative and Lobby Committee for the consideration of the full board. But once brought to a vote in the full city council, it only received “yes” votes from Prunty and Rose.
Alderwoman Gina Meeks made a failed attempt to excuse herself from voting. The city council denied her request to abstain from voting. She ultimately voted against the resolution.
“Unless I can see them [Palestinians and Jews] coming together for resolution for a ceasefire,” Meeks said, “it's difficult for me to, to sign . . . it was a difficult decision to make.”
Rose said Meeks, like other elected officials, fell susceptible to what he called the false argument that this issue is an “us” versus “them” matter, i.e. Muslim versus Jews. Rather, Rose said this is a humanitarian issue.
“When we take a look at this issue from a humanity perspective,” he said, “we understand that warfare that targets women, children, schools, hospitals and buildings that service regular citizens that are not part of the violence that has been taking place, that that is unacceptable and we just have to come to that realization.”
Sarah Salem, a member of Rockford for Palestine, questioned arguments made by some aldermen that the ceasefire resolution is solely a federal issue, with little for Rockford to do.
“Some of the bombs that are dropped in Gaza are made by Woodward, Salem said. “That company was founded in Rockford, So, to say that Rockford has nothing to do with the genocide is the most ignorant statement that you could say.”
Woodward’s local campus has been the target of protests. In a statement, the company said “Woodward provides control technologies for aerospace and industrial applications, and a small portion of our business involves indirectly supplying the U.S. government with subsystems that go into military equipment. While we are not involved in policy decisions regarding the use of defense equipment containing our products, we remain committed to serving all of our customers."
Rose said when the U.S. provides millions in military aid to Israel, it takes money away from local communities.
“I think the common goal for Americans is to say we just don't want to see our money go to this type of activity," he said. “We want to see it spent on our citizens here at home.”
And though the resolution failed to pass in the city council, it's gaining support in the community.
Lutheran Pastor Frank Langholf led civic and religious leaders to sign an open letter in favor of the ceasefire resolution.
“As a spiritual leader, as a Christian, particularly when informed by Jesus, I don't believe violence is the answer to violence, Langholf said. “I think there has to be another way, and the cease fire would be hopefully opening that other way.”
Recently, several humanitarian aid organizations reported that the humanitarian crisis in Gaza has dramatically worsened. They call on the Biden Administration to hold Israel accountable and push for more aid to enter, especially in northern Gaza. U.S. officials, though, say they there will not be a change in U.S. policy towards Israel.
Here's the text of the ceasefire resolution:
