No Gaza cease-fire resolution in Raleigh. ‘Our community is conflicted,’ mayor says
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NC responds to Israel-Hamas war
Since Oct. 7, when Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel, the ensuing war in Gaza has had an impact around the world. In the Triangle, protesters have taken to the streets, college campuses and government meetings to call for a cease-fire, aid to Gaza and the release of hostages. Here is ongoing coverage from The News & Observer.
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Raleigh city leaders won’t vote on a cease-fire resolution in the Israel-Hamas war.
Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin shared a statement before the Raleigh City Council meeting Tuesday afternoon, thanking Council member Megan Patton for helping draft it.
“While we do not have a consensus among our community, we also do not have a consensus among our council,” Baldwin said, reading from the statement. “With this in mind, the Raleigh City Council will not be issuing the resolution on this matter.”
Hundreds of activists and community members have repeatedly shown up to speak during council meetings to call for a local cease-fire resolution. Others have repeatedly called for the city to remain out of international affairs or to support Israel.
On Monday night, a group of about 150 protesters calling for a local cease-fire resolution brought a Durham City Council meeting to a halt for roughly 15 minutes. Mayor Leo Williams said he has been speaking with community members about a possible resolution.
‘Our community is conflicted’
“The importance of protecting civilian lives and supporting humanitarian relief is not lost on us,” Baldwin said Tuesday. “Neither is the need for safety and peace.
“Yes, our community is conflicted. But our values are evident,” she said, reading from the statement. “We call for the protection of all civilians and humanitarian relief. We call for the safe return of all hostages. We, like many others in our country, call on world leaders to work toward an end to this conflict and a peaceful long-term solution. We call for peace at home and abroad.”
After the meeting, the Jewish Federation of Greater Raleigh released a statement saying it appreciated the the mayor’s words.
“While we are grateful that this particular debate has reached its conclusion, we hope every day that the Israel-Hamas War ends as soon as possible and the hostages are returned home,” said Mark Goldhaber, chair of the Jewish Community Relations Council, in a news release.
Council member Christina Jones, who has supported calls for a cease-fire resolution, addressed the board after the mayor spoke.
“I am disappointed this will not come to a vote because I think that is what the community wanted,” she said. “They showed up at every opportunity and the best we could do is come up with is a statement of neutrality. But I do hope that our community can begin to heal, even though this is not a unanimous discussion or decision.”
Council member Mary Black, who has called for a cease-fire resolution, was not present at the meeting while the statement was read. But she said in an interview after the meeting that “sometimes consensus comes at the expense of being bold and radical imagination for the future.”
“I want to state how inspired I am by the work of the community that pushed council to make a statement (four) months ago,” she said. “The consistent sentiment on the board was that we should wait out a genocide and eventually people would stop caring. It became very clear that we had to say something.”
Black said she and other council members will continue to use their voices to advocate for a humanitarian end to the war.
Read the full statement
Raleigh Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin read this statement Feb. 6, 2024, to explain why the City Council won’t issue a resolution calling for a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas War.
“We want to take this opportunity to address the concerns we have heard from Raleigh residents regarding the tragic events of October 7, 2023, and the resulting conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. We, your Raleigh City Council members, acknowledge the impact of global conflicts on our community. The City of Raleigh recognizes the pain of its residents who have been directly impacted from the horrific events of October 7th and those who have lost loved ones in the conflict.
“Over the last few months, many people from our community have joined council meetings — some asking us to call for a ceasefire and others asking us not to weigh in on international matters. We appreciate every member of our community who has shared their voice with us, through email or in person. While we do not have a consensus among our community, we also do not have a consensus among our council. With this in mind, the Raleigh City Council will not be issuing a resolution on this matter.
“Most importantly, our thoughts are with those within and outside of Raleigh who have been directly impacted by this conflict. We strongly condemn all forms of harassment and hate speech and acknowledge the rise of antisemitism and Islamophobia across the city and across the country. Our city’s diverse population is one of our greatest strengths, and it includes many ties to Israelis and Palestinians, here and abroad. We wholeheartedly believe that all human life, regardless of faith or ethnicity, is precious.
“As a council, our job is to strengthen our community and bring Raleigh closer together. Members of the Raleigh City Council have engaged local Jewish, Palestinian and Muslim leaders to better understand both the conflict more broadly and the needs of people within our community. We have shared your messages with our federal elected leaders. The importance of protecting civilian lives and supporting humanitarian relief is not lost on us. Neither is the need for safety and peace.
“Yes, our community is conflicted, but our values are evident. We call for the protection of all civilians and humanitarian relief. We call for the safe return of all hostages. We, like many others in our country, call on world leaders to work toward an end to this conflict and a peaceful, long-term solution. We call for peace at home and abroad. We will continue to embody the principles of thinking globally while acting locally.”
This story was originally published February 6, 2024 at 2:22 PM with the headline "No Gaza cease-fire resolution in Raleigh. ‘Our community is conflicted,’ mayor says."
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