Chicago approves Gaza ceasefire in Israel-Hamas war
The Chicago City Council voted Wednesday in favor of a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hamas, making it the largest city in the United States to do so.
Mayor Brandon Johnson broke the 23-23 tie to ensure the resolution passed.
Before the council discussion, residents and activists spoke passionately about their support for a ceasefire, cheering and clapping for their peers. Mr. Johnson at one point authorized the council chamber to reduce the number of dissents, while Debra Silverstein, the council's only Jewish member, spoke against the resolution.
Similar debates have played out in communities across the country, as the passions stoked by the war in Gaza have resonated in American politics. But the issue was especially controversial in Chicago and its suburbs. Hundreds of Chicago Public School students Tuesday walked out of the classroom in support of the resolution.
“You are serving a county that is home to the largest population of Palestinians in America, Palestinians who have been here because they have been exiled for the last 75 years,” one resident said during the public comment session that preceded the council discussion and vote. “You heard us loud and clear for four months, and it's a shame it took so long.”
The Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, the civil rights activist, attended the meeting in support of the resolution. He is one of several Black religious leaders across the country who have called on President Biden for a ceasefire.
Councilman Daniel La Spata, a sponsor of the resolution, acknowledged Wednesday that the city's vote would not have a direct impact on international policy.
“We vote in solidarity,” said Mr La Spata. “We vote to help people feel heard in a world of silence.”
But despite the emotions surrounding the issue, council members had a largely subdued and respectful conversation.
“I think some of the arguments here on the floor defy logic,” said Councilman Byron Sigcho-Lopez, adding: “We all want peace, as we said, but how can we want peace and be against a ceasefire -are fires?”
The topic has been controversial among city leaders since the October 7 attacks. Ms. Silverstein won passage of a resolution condemning Hamas a week after the attack, and on Wednesday she lamented that similar language was not part of that resolution either.
“We all want an end to the bloodshed and an end to the war,” Ms. Silverstein said at Wednesday's meeting. “But it is crucial to understand what caused the conflict, and we must adopt a resolution that addresses the issue responsibly.”
About 70 cities across the country, including San Francisco, Seattle and Detroit, have passed resolutions on the war, with at least 47 of them calling for an immediate ceasefire, according to Reuters.