‘Heard and supported:’ Youngstown council calls for Gaza ceasefire in 4-3 vote
For the first time, the Youngstown City Council voted in favor of a resolution condemning violence in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict and calling for a ceasefire.
The resolution reaffirms Youngstown as a welcoming community to those of Jewish and Islamic regions and other religions, as well as declares the Gaza-Israel conflict an emergency.
By passing the resolution, the council is calling for “an end to this war and all future conflicts in Israel, Gaza and the West Bank, according to the legislation.
The ceasefire resolution was first introduced by community members of the Arab-American Community Center of Youngstown, including president Suhad Hadi.
“In a moment where the death toll has affected so many here in the region, and on both sides of the aisle, it is necessary to take a stand,” said Hadi. “This ceasefire will work more to unify the people than create separation as it is a call for humanity.”
Samantha Turner re-introduced the resolution, which passed and was supported by Amber White, as well as Jimmy Hughes and Patrick Kelly.
Hughes was one of the four members of the board who voted yes and asked his colleagues to do the same.
“I would ask that if Mike Ray comes up with an additional [resolution], it would be more than welcome,” said Hughes. “I will be more in support of that, and I will vote for that when it comes up, but I would ask my colleague to join with me and vote for this. I am supporting this.”
The members of the board who voted no include Julius Oliver, Mike Ray and Anita Davis.
Youngstown is now one of several cities in Ohio publicly supporting a ceasefire, alongside Dayton, Columbus, Akron, Cleveland and Cincinnati.
In support/against resolution
Several speakers advocated for Palestinian rights and emphasized the urgent need to address the conflict, including 35-year area business owner Ghassan Musleh, as well as Lauren Burgess, Hadi and Tala Alsharif.
“There is an insurmountable humanitarian crisis that has been happening for the past 76 years, and some of you are too proud to even look it’s okay to be wrong. It’s not your fault that propaganda manipulated and fooled you, because that’s what it’s designed to do. I want us all to come together, and I want each of you to show that we are a city that sets a standard. I believe in your humanity,” said Burgess.
Hadi told council members at Thursday’s meeting about her 43 family members who have been killed in the war.
“The resolution itself maintains neutrality in an effort to raise awareness of a call for agreement on the humanitarian need for a permanent ceasefire,” said Hadi. “At the city and local levels, support from city leaders is meaningful in embracing a population that has embedded itself in the very fiber that is Youngstown and the greater Mahoning Valley. Many are immigrants and now have first and second generation children who are struggling with the losses of family members during this war. It is crucial that our small business owners, medical professionals, teachers, librarians, restaurateurs, machinists, construction workers, homemakers, PTA moms, media staff, etc. know that they are heard and supported by the community they give to everyday.”
Bonnie Deutsch Burdman is the Youngstown Area Jewish Federation’s executive director of community relations/government affairs.
“We have urged Youngstown City Council to refrain from a ceasefire resolution with respect to the ongoing hostilities in Israel and Gaza. Such resolutions do more harm than good, and will serve only to divide residents of Youngstown, not unite us. To be clear, we want this war to end. We abhor the loss of innocent life, whether Jewish or Arab, Israeli or Palestinian. We have consistently supported, and continue to support, a peaceful two-state solution to the ongoing Mideast conflict,” Deutsch Burdman said in an email before the meeting.
Statistics in Gaza
Hadi provided statistics on how many people have been displaced, injured and killed in the conflict, including children with amputations.
She said 1.7 million people have been forced to flee their homes “to find that no place is really safe.”
According to UNICEF, more than 14,000 children in Gaza have been killed.
850,000 children who have had to flee with their families, and 20,000 children have been orphaned in the conflict.
“1,500 is the number of child amputees as a result of the bombing,” said Hadi. “This is now the largest cohort of pediatric amputees in history... Zero: the number of schools left in Gaza, zero: the number of hospitals left in Gaza. $350 million the amount Ohio invests in Israeli bonds this year alone.”
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This story was originally published June 21, 2024 at 12:03 AM.