C-U Jewish Federation speaks out against final draft of Gaza resolution

Mar. 22—URBANA — A local Jewish organization is expressing its opposition to Urbana City Council's resolution on the war in Gaza, as the final version of the document calls for "a halt of military aid to Israel and implicitly (places) all blame for the Israel-Hamas war on Israel."

The Champaign-Urbana Jewish Federation Committee on Antisemitism released a statement Wednesday, two days after the council approved a resolution titled "Calling for the End of the Gaza War and a Lasting Peace."

"With regard to the process around this resolution, a group of political activists have exploited a deeply painful topic affecting many in our community at a personal level and used it for political gain," said Ma'ayan Weinberg, executive director of the federation. "Their actions amount to political theater aimed at dividing the city of Urbana and our community. The resolution as originally written, while far from perfect, called for peace, justice and co-existence."

Alderman Chris Evans, who recommended the statement on halting military aid, told The News-Gazette, "In my opinion, the vast majority of citizens in Urbana no longer believe Israel's politicians and military have the continued right to slaughter innocent Palestinians, decimate the Palestine civilization and be supplied the weapons to do so. ... You can't call for a permanent cessation of all violence and still give a few depraved government and military leaders bombs, planes, tanks and guns. Real peace doesn't work that way."

The amendment recommended by Evans, which was included in the approved resolution, called for "the United States government and international community to stop funding weapons of war to Israel so as to create conditions for reconciliation between Israel and Palestine, which is the foundation for a just, secure and lasting peace."

Prior to the change, Weinberg had urged the council to approve the original resolution, which had advanced from the council's March 4 committee-of-the-whole meeting.

However, about 60 individuals who spoke during the public-comment period at Monday's meeting opposed the document and called for changes, including adding the term "cease-fire" and seeking "an immediate end to U.S. military support to Israel."

Evans' change replaced a section that had would have urged the U.S. and international community to "prioritize funding tools of peace over weapons of war to create conditions for reconciliation between Israel and Palestine, which is the foundation for a just, secure and lasting peace."

The final resolution is otherwise identical to the version of the document that was included in Monday's city council packet.

The approval of the amended document came after several weeks of community members calling on the council to pass a resolution on the conflict.

Dua Aldasouqi of the CU Muslim Action Committee, who has been part of the group calling for a cease-fire resolution, said the updated version of the statement makes sense because it focuses on the side of the conflict that the U.S. has funded.

"It just directly says, 'We, the U.S., fund this war. We, the U.S., are complicit in the massacre (of Palestinians) ... so we, the U.S., don't want to be a part of that," she said. "That's basically the demand that's being made."

She feels that the final version of the resolution meets the demand for a cease-fire resolution, though she would have preferred to see more elements of the resolution that was drafted by Urbana resident Ben Joselyn.

"This resolution did call for the return of hostages on both sides, so this is something that we were also pleased with," she said.

The final version of the resolution also states that the Urbana City Council "condemns the killing of innocent civilians and destruction of community infrastructure including but not limited to the attacks by Hamas in Israel and the bombing of Gaza by the state of Israel."

Additionally, council members believe that both Palestinians and Israelis have the right to "self-determination and to live in safety and peace." They also denounced "actions that promote antisemitism and Islamophobia and incite acts of racially and ethnically-motivated violence and hate crimes."

Chelsea Birchmier with Urbana-Champaign Jews for Ceasefire said she's pleased with the final version of the resolution, which she sees as a result of a "really genuinely democratic and community-based effort."

"I do think the resolution prioritizes a bilateral end to violence and a lasting peace," she said.

The council directed the city clerk to send copies of the resolution to President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, U.S. Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., and U.S. Rep. Nikki Budzinski, D-Springfield.

Budzinski has also been petitioned to call for a cease-fire by members of Sisters in Faith Leadership, who have held a vigil outside her downtown Champaign office and spoken with members of her staff on this matter.

The congresswoman told The News-Gazette that the conflict is "heartbreaking" for both the victims of Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel and innocent civilians in Gaza.

"We can never tolerate the indiscriminate killing of civilians on either side of this conflict," Budzinski said. "I've been consistent and clear that Israel has a right to defend itself, and that a two-state solution is key to long-term peace in the region. I support a mutual, temporary cease-fire that allows the safe return of hostages and a surge of humanitarian aid into Gaza."

She added that she has voted against proposals that do not include humanitarian assistance and is continuing to call for "a comprehensive package that supports our allies in Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan while providing additional humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza."