The same week that Jersey City observed the four-year anniversary of a religiously motivated hate crime in Greenville, the City also reckoned with the reality of the current global conflict between Israel and Hamas. Councilman Yousef Saleh, Ward D, introduced a resolution that would support a cease-fire in the region. The Jersey City Council held a special meeting on Wednesday, December 6th to vote on the resolution. Read on to learn more about the resolution and the outcome of the vote.
The Proposed Resolution
The resolution was introduced by Councilman Yousef Saleh, who represents Ward D. Resolution 23-903 is below.
A RESOLUTION OF THE MUNICIPAL COUNCIL OF JERSEY CITY CONCERNING ISRAEL AND
PALESTINE.
COUNCIL offered and moved adoption of the following resolution:
Whereas, Jersey City is a city of diversity, one of the most diverse in the United States, standing as a beacon of light, hope, and opportunity for all people and cultures; and
Whereas, Jersey City residents embody a spirit of acceptance and respect, and have worked together to establish a city where each person is valued and celebrated; and
Whereas, Jersey City condemns hate and terror in all of its forms – whether it is racism, antisemitism, islamophobia, antiLGBTQ, sexism, and terrorist attacks in the United States or across the globe; and
Whereas, Jersey City decries the horrific attacks on October 7, 2023 against innocent Israeli civilians; and;
Whereas, Jersey City also decries the loss of all innocent Palestinian civilians killed in the subsequent war; and
Whereas, all human life is precious, no matter their faith or ethnicity; and
Whereas, Jersey City mourns the loss of all these lives; and
Whereas, the Hamas terrorists that committed the attacks of October 7, 2023 do not represent Islam nor all Palestinians; and
Whereas, millions of lives are at imminent risk from further escalation of the conflict both in Israel and Palestine as well as in the region; and
Whereas, Israelis Jews and Palestinians Muslims live side-by-side in Jersey City, where we celebrate each other’s faiths through interfaith iftars, Passover seders, and community activities; and
Whereas, both Jewish and Muslim communities in Jersey City are grieving the innocent lives lost and the current escalation of conflict in the region; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE MUNICIPAL COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF JERSEY CITY AS FOLLOWS:
1.City Council for the City of Jersey City resolves our unwavering opposition to hatred and racism in all its forms, and will continue to foster an environment that values diversity and upholds the principles of equality and understanding as the ‘Golden Door of America.’
2.We call upon Governor Murphy, Attorney General Platkin, and the NJ State Legislative Representatives for Jersey City to provide more resources to combat rising cases of anti-semitism and islamophobia, through public education, identification, as well as the vigorous investigation and prosecution of hate and bias crimes.
3.We call upon the City of Jersey City Communications department to work alongside the Jersey City Police Department to establish an Anti-Hate Campaign that informs residents what to do in the case of a bias crime and how to report it, as well as a campaign that celebrates the diversity of our City.
4.City Council for the City of Jersey City resolves to work alongside faith leaders and community leaders to hold a meeting to find ways to unify the city, provide support, and discussions on community healing.
5.We are encouraged by the negotiated humanitarian pause which will allow the flow of desperately needed humanitarian aid as well as the release of some of the hostages, and we call on President Biden and Jersey City’s Congressional delegation to call for a permanent ceasefire which ensures the release of all hostages and the unrestricted flow of aide to Gaza, as well as the justice, safety, security, and healing for all Israelis and Palestinians through a restart in the peace process.
The resolution follows an earlier petition, also written by Councilman Saleh, filed by the Jersey City Council to issue a resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. The November 27th City Council meeting lasted over five hours and saw several community members removed from the at-times heated discussion. That resolution, 23-902, was withdrawn.
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What People Say
The JC Ceasefire movement shared its statement with The Jersey City Times. The organization calls itself a “coalition of anti-war Jersey City residents and organizations that want to see a Free Palestine.”
In part, the statement reads:
“We are calling on the Jersey City Municipal Council to adopt a resolution that endorses the Cori Bush-Rashida Tlaib introduced H.Res 786, which condemns all acts of terror and war crimes and which recognizes the rights of Palestinians to live in freedom from oppression. The House resolution calls for an immediate ceasefire, not a pause, in the bombing of Gaza and for provisions to be made for all humanitarian aid to enter the besieged territory. We urge the Jersey City Municipal Council to act on the right side of history to prevent more needless suffering and endorse the Bush/Tlaib H.Res 786 calling for an immediate de-escalation and permanent cease-fire in Israel and occupied Palestine.”
A coalition of local rabbis also came together to urge the council not to approve the resolution. In part, the statement reads, “We, the rabbis serving Jewish constituents of Jersey City, respectfully request the members of the Jersey City City Council to permanently set aside the proposed extraordinary resolution concerning the situation in the Middle East. While we recognize that many people, including Jersey City residents, feel passionately about this issue, the correct venue for this complex and multifaceted issue to be addressed is not with a local government resolution that assigns blame or calls for outcomes. The recent City Council meeting demonstrated that this resolution is doing the opposite of community-building in Jersey City.”
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Special Meeting
The Jersey City Council held a special meeting on Wednesday, December 6th to discuss and ultimately vote on the resolution. The resolution was not passed as several council members abstained from voting. The final vote was 3-0-5, which was enough to defeat the proposal. The abstaining members were Councilmembers Solomon, DeGise, Rivera, Waterman, and Prinz-Arey. Each gave remarks about why they didn’t feel confident to vote in favor of the resolution. Some of the common themes were: that the Jersey City Council should focus on local matters; that other elected officials at the federal level are responsible for handling or influencing the issue; that there are ways to show support to the community without this type of measure; and that international leaders won’t notice or be swayed by what a local council does.
Councilman Boggiano voted in favor of the measure but also said that he would like to see a task force on the issue. Councilman Gilmore also voted in favor of the measure, saying that he was swayed by wanting to do what was right. Councilman Saleh, the sponsor of the resolution, recalled his own experiences living in Jersey City after 9-11 and the fear that he felt in the community. He described being motivated now to prevent that type of division, “This resolution isn’t going to make Hamas do anything, but it’s important for our citizens to see this body take a stance,” he said.
