My thanks to Luzane Draughon and Wednesday Journal for fair and accurate coverage of the contentious public comment period at the April 9 Oak Park Village Board meeting.
There were comments for and against a proposed board resolution calling for an immediate permanent ceasefire in Gaza. I’m accurately quoted as follows: “The resolution initially seems to check all of the boxes for acceptable wording … but it has many problems. …”
I would like to share now what I said two of those problems are:
The resolution’s failure to acknowledge Hamas’ use of civilians as human shields
The resolution’s call for a permanent ceasefire that would leave Hamas in power. I noted that “Hamas’ dedication to obliterating Israel is part of its charter. A senior official has promised many more October 7ths.”
I also said that I’m heartbroken at the human suffering in Gaza and Israel.* I added that I’m no fan of Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu or many aspects of how Israel is conducting the war.
I thank President Scaman and the trustees for listening patiently to all our comments. President Scaman’s statement correctly observed that people on both sides of this issue are hurting. I share her hope that we can listen to each other’s stories and connect in our common humanity.
*Many aren’t aware that Israel’s economy is faltering and some 135,000 Israelis have been evacuated from border areas, according to an article in Haaretz magazine (https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2024-02-27/ty-article-magazine/.premium/what-makes-the-plight-of-israels-displaced-citizens-different/0000018d-ea95-d1e0-a1dd-fbf529ed0000). The information comes from a reputable Swiss human rights organization called UN Watch. https://unwatch.org/report-un-silent-on-israeli-idps. Here’s another Reuters story on Israel’s troubled economy:https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/gaza-war-hits-israeli-economy-with-194-q4-drop-2024-02-19/
Judith Alexander
Oak Park
