At Tuesday night’s Oak Park village board meeting, some residents once again urged trustees to sign off on a proposed permanent ceasefire resolution related to the Israel-Hamas war.
Those requests came during non-agenda public comment as the topic is still not on the village board agenda. That means trustees cannot act by voting. Doing so could violate the Illinois Open Meetings Act. But as of June 6, 1,070 individuals have signed a petition posted by Caren Van Slyke, founder and chair of the Committee for a Just Peace in Palestine/Israel, calling for approval of the resolution.
The first time community members and individuals from CJPIP spoke to the board publicly about the resolution was at the April 9 meeting, which erupted in anger. At the May 1 meeting, some community members came back to push for it again. And now they’re trying again.
But while some residents spoke in support of a ceasefire resolution, many others commended trustees for refusing to entertain it and staying out of foreign affairs. Village President Vicki Scaman has continuously thanked residents for sharing their thoughts, but the board has not taken any further public action.
On Tuesday, more residents spoke against a ceasefire resolution than in favor of it, a change from previous meetings.
One community member in favor of a ceasefire resolution, Jenna Leving Jacobson, said maintaining the status quo is doing harm to marginalized communities. She said it appears trustees are afraid to pass a resolution and offend some members of the Jewish community. But others deserve that same level of consideration, she said.
“Who gets to feel safe in our community?” Jacobson asked. “Whose safety is prioritized and whose safety gets compromised for the illusion of security for others?”
Another resident, Yoko Terretta, read a letter signed by several community members in which she said she feels a moral obligation to speak out against violence and human rights violations. The countless loss of lives during the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is devastating, she said, and demands immediate action.
“While a resolution from Oak Park alone cannot bring an end to this conflict, by joining 171 other municipalities in passing this measure … we can send a powerful message to our federal elected officials,” Terretta said.
But many others expressed opposition to the proposed resolution.
Daniel Kirzane, an associate rabbi at Oak Park Temple, said while he wants the war to end, he doesn’t think the village’s trustees should get involved. Brian Sklar, an Oak Park resident, said when people say, “Free Palestine,” they’re disregarding the one Jewish-majority country.
“When you say, ‘From the river to the sea,’ you’re talking about genocide,” Sklar said.
“From the river to the sea,” has become a slogan calling for freedom from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea, used by pro-Palestinian demonstrators and at pro-Palestinian rallies, according to Al Jazeera.
Many audience members, however, interjected to express disagreement at his statement.
Phyllis Rubin, who said she’s a member of Oak Park Temple, said she wants trustees to understand both sides. She said she doesn’t think the proposed resolution and its supporters call “loudly” for the dismantling of Hamas, a priority to her.
“Arrogant are those who cry only ‘Ceasefire,’” Rubin said. “It is so easy to say ‘War is bad, so ceasefire must be good. A simple choice, right? No, it’s absolutely not so simple. Especially in the Middle East.”
Diane Gordon, who said she’s Jewish, said the trustees weighing in on foreign policy would make “no difference” but could offend community members. No suburb with a significant Jewish population has passed a ceasefire resolution, she said.
“My heart breaks every day [about] what’s happening in Gaza,” another resident said. “However, this is … the most complicated geopolitical conundrum in modern human history … I don’t want you spending your time on thinking about the complexity … of this issue.”