After hours of passionate debate and public comment, the Ithaca Common Council passed a resolution Wednesday calling for a cease-fire in Gaza.
The resolution calls for a bilateral cease-fire, the release of Israeli hostages by Hamas, access to humanitarian aid for Palestinians, and a recognition of International Court of Justice’s ruling that Israel’s acts in Gaza constitute a plausible genocide.
The resolution, initially introduced by First Ward Alderperson Kayla Matos, passed with nine “yes” votes and two “no” votes.
The resolution was amended multiple times on the floor as the council struggled to settle on language they felt represented the will of Ithacans.
The dire conditions for Palestinian civilians, particularly children who make up almost half of Gaza’s population, and Israeli hostages called for immediate action, said the First Ward’s other alderperson, Phoebe Brown.
“We are going to leave here alright tonight,” she said. “Not those babies, not those hostages. So whatever we do tonight, let's make a stand.”
Ithaca residents packed the room in city hall to express their support for the resolution. Speakers held up a Palestinian flag and photos of emaciated Palestinian children during the meeting.
Some members of the crowd held a poster reading, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”.
Third Ward Alderperson David Shapiro objected to the sign before public comment on the resolution began.
He stood and pointed at the sign while Ithaca Mayor Robert Cantelmo tried to call the room to order. He said the sign was racist and antisemitic.
“We should not be conducting business in here when there are racist things being placed in front of us,” he said.
Members of the audience responded to Shapiro’s comments, also ignoring Cantelmo’s call to order.
One person shouted that Shapiro was interfering with the democratic process.Shapiro responded that he would “stop interfering” and left the meeting.
He returned before the end of public comment on the resolution.
Ithacans Speak
Only the first hour of council meetings are reserved for public comment.
Many of the speakers referenced their personal experiences during their public comment on the resolution.
Fahed Saada told the council his experiences as a Palestinian American and a physician led him to support the resolution.
“I see the heart wrenching pain in Gaza,” he said. “Not just physical but deeply, deeply emotional, leaving lasting scars on the soul.”
David Halpert spoke on his perspective as a Jewish man, grandfather and Ithaca doctor. He said that the starvation of children in Gaza added to the urgency of passing the resolution.
“The ceasefire is a pro-Jewish position. You need to counter that false narrative that supporters of a cease-fire are antisemitic.”
One person, Alexander Vladimirsky, spoke over Zoom in opposition to the cease-fire resolution as it was written. He said the resolution was one-sided.
“Reading this resolution gives the impression that Israel is at war with Palestinian civilians and is desperately trying to kill as many of them as possible.”
All of the slots for public comment were filled Wednesday night.
Resolution
The council amended the resolution several times before bringing it to a vote.
The amendments included a revision to the resolution to align the language with the Biden-Harris administration's calls for a cease-fire, the striking of the word “terrorist” from the resolution, a change of name for the resolution and a recognition of the International Court of Justice’s genocide ruling.
Third Ward Alderperson Pierre St. Perez said he thought the resolution was rushed.
“I think this process that we're currently going through, where we have a document that we are amending ad-hoc in the middle of the meeting, is a terrible way to craft policy.”
Alderperson Matos said the transparency was good for the community.
“Personally, I think we should be discussing amendments and hashing these types of things out on the floor, rather than behind closed doors.”
The resolution passed 9-2. Alderpersons St. Perez and Shapiro voted against the resolution. Mayor Cantelmo and alderpersons Matos, Brown, Nguyen, Haines-Sharp, Kumar, Kuehl, Lederman and Fabrizio voted for it.
Cornell and Gaza
Earlier Wednesday, about 100 Cornell University students held a protest on campus calling on the university to divest from companies that make the weapons of war used by the Israeli military.
Students have been protesting the university’s response to the Israel-Hamas war for months.
They say Cornell’s financial and academic involvement in these companies makes the university complicit in genocide.
Alaa Farghli, a PhD candidate, called for Cornell President Martha Pollack to bring the issue to a vote.
He referenced the 30,000 people killed in Gaza.
“These are 30,000 missed opportunities for President Pollack to bring a vote for divestment,” Farghli said.
Cornell Vice President for University Relations Joel Malina said the protest violated university guidelines. He said some students were referred for disciplinary action.