This week the following joint letter was issued to the cities of Urbana, Champaign, and the Cunningham Township:
Dear Cunningham Township Board, The Urbana City Council, and The Champaign City Council,
In recent months, there has been intense pressure on many local governments to pass one-sided legislation regarding the October 7th War between Israel and Hamas. In some cases, this means issuing symbolic condemnations of Israel or supporting a “ceasefire” that would leave Hamas in control of Gaza. In other cases, there are demands to go much further by divesting from Israel – an action that would conflict with anti-discrimination laws in many states - a reality galvanized in the current referendum before voters in Cunningham County, IL.
The current war has been devastating and tragic for Israeli and Palestinian civilians alike, and all people of good will rightly want their suffering to end as quickly as possible. There has also been an unprecedented rise in hate crimes and other forms of bigotry across the United States. Instead of helping to resolve these crises, biased city council actions fan the flames of division, hatred, and conflict at home and abroad. We therefore ask that you use your good offices to prevent such legislation from tainting the integrity of your government and the welfare of your community.
There is a global campaign with direct ties to Hamas that seeks to exploit city councils and other local government bodies for political gain.
The global Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) Movement is officially promoting anti-Israel city council resolutions around the world. BDS is a campaign of hate that seeks to shut down Israeli-Palestinian cooperation and end Israel’s existence. While some claim BDS is about opposing Israeli policies, its leaders have made clear that their goal is the elimination of Israel. Furthermore, the New York Times reported that the Palestinian BDS National Committee includes Hamas and other U.S.-designated terrorist groups. In an official statement, BDS described the genocidal atrocities Hamas committed on October 7th as a, “powerful armed reaction.”
Due to this long record of bigotry, 38 U.S. states have adopted anti-discrimination legislation and executive orders aimed at opposing BDS. Local governments that go beyond symbolic resolutions with actions like divestment from Israel may run afoul of these state policies. If your municipality passes a divestment resolution, it could subject the city to termination of contracts it has with some of the 38 states.
Even where there are no legal ramifications, elected officials should still strongly oppose and condemn BDS for fueling endless hatred and conflict, rather than advancing justice and peace.
Local government resolutions related to the October 7th War often lack essential background information to allow for educated decision-making.
For example, there was a ceasefire until October 7, 2023, when Hamas, a U.S.-designated terror group, invaded southern Israel and committed the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust. Terrorists murdered, tortured, raped, and kidnapped over 1,400 people, and wounded thousands more on that horrific day. All these months later, there are still nearly 130 Israelis being held captive by Hamas in Gaza, including infants, women, and the elderly, with no visits by the Red Cross.
Hamas has violated every ceasefire agreement it ever signed, and its leaders have promised to repeat the genocidal atrocities of October 7th over and over until Israel is destroyed. There is no question that the current Hamas-Israel war is horrific for both Palestinian and Israeli civilians. However, a “ceasefire” that leaves Hamas in control of Gaza would simply allow it to regroup and rearm for the next massacre. That would doom all people in the region to an endless cycle of violence and suffering.
Hamas can end the war now by releasing the hostages and laying down its arms. Bigger picture, there would be no blockade against weapons entering Gaza and no violence if Hamas had not taken over the territory in 2007 and used it to wage an endless genocidal war against Israel's existence. One-sided international pressure against Israel will not help Palestinians or Israelis. It will only help Hamas and its global network of enablers (i.e. the governments of Iran, Qatar, Turkey, Russia, and China).
Municipal government meetings are not the venue for adequate education about complex issues like the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Jews represent roughly 2% of the U.S. population. This means that in many communities there are very few people who have the knowledge to share common Jewish or Israeli perspectives and experiences with local elected officials. This often results in a deeply skewed “debate” where the vast majority of comments are biased against Israel. According to polls, this is completely unrepresentative of most Americans, who overwhelmingly support Israel’s efforts to rescue the hostages and remove Hamas from power.
People also get very little time to speak during public comment. It is impossible to respond to the dozens of misleading claims often presented at local government meetings in a few short minutes.
Many resolutions regarding the October 7th War are outside the mandate of city councils.
The mission and purview of municipal governments often does not include making foreign policy decisions. There are over 100 foreign conflicts taking place around the world right now (according to the Geneva House). It would be deeply irresponsible to spend precious time on debating such conflicts and other matters that are unrelated to the everyday needs of the local communities. Constituents who are passionate about the October 7th War should be encouraged to contact leaders in the federal government.
Local elected officials should not be expected to be experts on foreign policy. The primary responsibility of municipal leaders is to have a deep understanding of their local community. While some may be very knowledgeable about foreign policy as well, too many city councils have passed resolutions that promote misinformation about the October 7th War. Local governments should not take positions on such issues if they can’t take the time to fully educate themselves.
While local government actions have no impact on foreign conflicts around the world, they can do a lot of harm to the communities they are supposed to represent. Too many city council meetings have been used as a platform to promote hate, racist conspiracy theories, and even violent threats.
Taking biased stances on a conflict halfway around the world is not the answer. During times of crisis and division, elected officials should lead by standing up against hate locally and finding ways to bring residents together.
Please let me know if I can answer any questions you might have.
Our very best,
Yossi Held Ma’ayan Weinberg
Executive Director, Midwest Region Executive Director
StandWithUs Champaign-Urbana Jewish Federation