Columbus City Council unanimously passed a resolution Monday calling for a "sustained and mutual end to hostilities in Gaza."
That's after months of calls from pro-Palestinian protestors demanding the city council call for a cease fire. Speakers from both the Jewish and pro-Palestinian communities at the meeting said they weren't satisfied with the resolution.
Columbus City Council President Shannon Hardin sponsored the resolution at the Monday meeting after months of protests calling for the council to take an action. He said at a previous meeting that he didn't want to bring forth a resolution that might divide the city any deeper along the lines of the conflict in the Middle East.
Before reading the resolution, Hardin said, "what's happening abroad is unacceptable."
"The vast majority of voices are calling for peace. I know some would have us to do nothing, but I must recognize the pain that our community is experiencing. This resolution is not adding to our community's division. It is not endangering our residents. Our community is already divided," Hardin said.
He said this is the right time to mend the divide in the Columbus community with a gesture of peace during a time that is holy for Christians, Muslims and Jewish people.
"Even when times are hard, we must engage with our neighbors and step into the breach to find common ground. In this holy season of Lent and of Ramadan, and on the eve of Passover, our focus must be on peace. And that is the spirit in which this resolution is intended," Hardin said.
"Hamas' terrorist attack on Israel and hostage taking of innocent civilians on October 7th," the resolution stated and "the ongoing humanitarian crises and the killing of Palestinian civilians in Gaza over the last five months of military warfare."
The resolution continued, "We stand united against anti-Semitism, Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian and anti-Israeli bigotry. And whereas the conflict's continued escalation heightens the chances of larger regional conflict and threats of violence against our families right here in Columbus."
Members of the crowd verbally protested at some points, as some attendees have at some meetings earlier this year. Hardin invited two speakers to talk on the resolution, which was not initially on the council's agenda when WOSU accessed it on Friday.
Jewish Columbus President Julie Tilson Stanley said the resolution did condemn Hamas' October attack, but not strongly enough.
"If one truly supports peace, there needs to be recognition that Hamas is the obstacle to both (for) Israelis and Palestinians," Stanley said.
Local attorney Mazen Rasoul said he appreciated some elements of the resolution, but questioned why council didn't use the words "cease fire" or condemn Israeli leaders for their response.
"This tells us an important thing that you have not been listening closely to everything that we've been saying for the past six months. We have presented to you through all of our speakers, all the injustices that have been occurring for over 100 years against Palestinians, starting with the shameful declaration of a white supremacist in 1917," Rasoul said. "The resolution unequivocally condemns Hamas as one actor, but fails to mention Israel when addressing the Palestinians killed in the past six months."
Rasoul said the Palestinians have been facing a genocide for decades.
"Palestinians will survive this genocide," Rasoul said. "We will rise again in Gaza and all over the world, stronger than ever before. We will rebuild Gaza. We will heal together as a community and stand up again to continue our fight for justice and freedom."
