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The Boston City Council passed one resolution Wednesday will mark Jewish American Heritage Month and denounce “all forms of anti-Semitism and hatred.”
The vote comes per week after the body passed a resolution calling for a direct and everlasting ceasefire in Gaza.
“We voted last week for a ceasefire, the return of all hostages and the resumption of humanitarian assistance because this body is able to hold in its heart the suffering of all the innocent people killed in the Middle East. “City Councilor Benjamin Weber, who submitted the resolution, said during Meeting on Wednesday. “This is another opportunity to acknowledge that pain and do what we can for the people of Boston, not only calling for peace but calling out hate.”
All 12 city council members present voted in favor. Councilwoman Julia Mejia was absent.
Ahead of the meeting, Councilman Ed Flynn submitted a motion separate resolution to denounce anti-Semitism. It was withdrawn through the meeting, with City Clerk Alex Geourntas citing a ruling involving resolutions or other filings that were too much like the measures first filed. This decision was made by Geourntas and Council President Ruthzee Louijeune. The two resolutions have a typical theme and share among the same language, which ends up in the resolution.
Flynn argued that his decision was clear enough to warrant a separate vote. The language of his resolution relies on other measures related to the rise within the actions of white Supremecists and quite a lot of hate crimes within the region, he said.
“I take these issues very seriously, as do my colleagues. That's why I think this issue of anti-Semitism and hate crimes is different than honoring the enormous contributions and sacrifices of the Jewish community,” Flynn said, noting that he disagrees with that resolution “out of respect.”
Weber noted that he also found the two resolutions very similar, saying that he “coincidentally” filed with Flynn and that his resolution likely would have been subject to the similar filing rule if the order had been reversed. Louijeune agreed.
Flynn spoke in favor of Weber's resolution and voted for it. Last week's ceasefire resolution received only two dissenting votes: from Flynn and Councilwoman Erin Murphy. They both advocated for the preservation of human life, but argued that this resolution was irrelevant to the city's affairs.
The ceasefire resolution passed by the city council was met with some criticism from Jewish groups. Rabbi Ron Fish, interim regional director of the Anti-Defamation League New England, called it “one-sided” for not mentioning the attacks on Israel staged by Hamas on October seventh. This didn’t paint a whole picture of Hamas's complicity within the war and lack of a ceasefire, he said.
In his speech on Wednesday, Weber, who’s Jewish, referred to a speech President Joe Biden held a memorial event the day before in honor of Holocaust Remembrance Day. Biden condemned the anti-Semitism that has emerged at some student protests, complaining that too many “deny, downplay, rationalize, [and] Ignoring the horrors of the Holocaust and October seventh.”
This is a remarkable step, said Biden paused some bomb shipments to Israel amid concerns that a full-scale military operation in town of Rafah could lead on to a fair more catastrophic humanitarian crisis. The decision prompted some members of the Israeli government to achieve this say that Biden sympathized with Hamas.
Weber reiterated Biden's message a couple of rise in anti-Semitism, saying he has “no doubt” that hateful rhetoric and actions against Jews have increased since October 7. However, he stressed that anti-Semitism could be delivered to light while criticizing the Israeli government
“Jews were deeply affected by the October 7 attack and its terrible consequences. Jews demonstrated in large numbers for Israel and the return of the hostages. “Many have also joined camps and marches to demand an immediate ceasefire and an end to the Israeli government’s occupation,” Weber said.
Many city council members spoke in favor of Weber's resolution. This included City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson, who pushed the ceasefire resolution last week.
Fernandes Anderson, a Muslim who has been a vocal advocate for the Palestinians, spoke about how each Judaism and Islam share fundamental teachings in regards to the importance of being kind to others. She spoke enthusiastically about how Jewish leaders in Boston stood with Muslims in 2017 when former President Donald Trump tried to pass laws Travel ban to people from predominantly Muslim countries.
“One thing that I think is special about the resolution is that it strengthens the spirit of advocacy and solidarity that is alive and well in the Jewish community today,” Fernandes Anderson said.
image credit : www.boston.com