Public Comment

Ceasefire now

There needed to be a ceasefire 5 months ago. Israel is an apartheid state that cannot claim self-defense when they illegally occupied Palestine. Israel has been killing innocent civilians before October 7th and continue to escalate the killing every day. They are bombing, shooting, starving and torturing innocent civilians. We are all complicit in this genocide and Cleveland needs to pass this resolution. Passing a ceasefire resolution is the bare minimum, we are asking for innocent families to not be murdered, is that such a hard thing to ask for?

CEASE FIRE NOW- END THE OCCUPATION AND GENOCIDE- FREE PALESTINE-FROM THE RIVER TO THE SEA.

Many have already stated what I believe. Your refusal to acknowledge the overwhelming views of your constituents by passing a declaration of outrage against the death and destruction rained upon Palestinian civilians is reprehensible. Not all of us can afford to visit Washington D.C. to express our indignation, so you, as our local office holders, must acknowledge the horror we all feel.

I am urging Cleveland city council to pass a ceasefire resolution for Gaza, immediately. End the genocide, permanently. Palestinians deserve freedom and peace and to live, as the bare minimum!

It is incredibly concerning that the representatives of the Cleveland community have attempted to claim an uneducated position on the illegal occupation in Palestine. As representatives of the law in Cleveland I would have assumed you would be somewhat familiar with international laws, specifically in the legality of illegal settlements by immigrants. Pass a ceasefire resolution immediately and demand an end to genocide.

The position of city council that genocide of Palestinians is none of their concern, even when their constituents repeatedly speak up about how important it is to them personally, is deeply wrong.

I am writing to support Cleveland’s ceasefire resolution and support of Gaza during this ongoing genocide.

I have watched Cleveland City Council meetings on TV 20's for the past many months and every week, I see the lack of humanity and inaction by most of the council to act when as residents, we are begging your to act!!! Well this weekend marked annual remembrance of Bloody Sunday in Selma, Alabama. Our Vice President was in attendance and she stated unequivocally: "So, before I begin today, I must address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza...As I have said many times, too many innocent Palestinians have been killed...People in Gaza are starving. The conditions are inhumane. And our common humanity compels us to act...And given the immense scale of suffering in Gaza, there must be an immediate ceasefire" You can read the entire transcript at: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2024/03/03/remarks-by-vice-president-harris-commemorating-the-59th-anniversary-of-bloody-sunday-selma-al/ and view it at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRRm_q3uBS8 It is my position as a resident of Cleveland that City Council's relentless attacks on the Palestinian community MUST STOP, and its beyond time to pass a resolution for a cease fire! I thank Rebecca Maurer and Jenny Spencer for being in support of this, but I implore the rest of Council to take the wise advice of VP Harris and call for a ceasefire. I will remember this at election time!

As a lifelong resident of the Cleveland area and a current worker in the West Park neighborhood of Cleveland, I have been gravely disturbed by City Council's refusal to listen to its constituents asking for the most basic of human dignity and respect to be shown towards Palestinians. After weeks of ignoring our pleas, despite multiple revisions of the ceasefire resolution to fit council's various requests, it is clear that the vast majority of City Council works solely for those lining their pockets-- not the people they allegedly represent. With this is mind, I would like to express my wholehearted support for the people's ceasefire resolution. We, the people of Cleveland, join the voices of other Ohioans whose city leadership values integrity more highly than Cleveland's: Dayton, Akron, Athens, Toledo, Yellow Springs, and others. City Council, pass the resolution now! But even if you won't, we the people will.