Evanston’s legal department had a message Thursday night for Equity and Empowerment Commission members pushing a Palestine cease-fire resolution: the commission’s legally defined role is here in the Middle West, not the Middle East.
Those were not exactly the words, but the message was clear.
Before the commission could take public testimony on the controversial measure,
Alex Ruggie, the city’s interim corporation counsel, said the resolution was “outside of the charter for this commission,” and was therefore “out of order.”
Ruggie said the ordinance establishing the commission granted it the authority to address issues only in Evanston.
The lengthy resolution called for the release of hostages by Hamas along with an end to the Israeli military campaign in Gaza.
While the document contained a litany of tragedies suffered by Palestinians, with thousands of deaths, and also condemned Israel’s campaign, there was no direct mention of the 1,200 Israelis killed by Hamas terrorists on Oct. 7, nor any direct repudiation of Hamas.
But with more than 200 people on hand, the Commission decided to let people speak anyway.
Commission Chair Darlene Cannon had said before the attorney’s ruling that her panel was not going to vote at this session anyway, just collect input for possible changes.
She also noted that the commission is advisory only, and any recommendation they made would have to go to City Council for final say.
That now seems moot on this issue, but there was no shortage of emotion in the crowd, the majority of whom, based on the number of speakers, were against the resolution.
Alla Radunsky, the granddaughter of Holocaust victims, said the resolution “divides the community and makes me feel unsafe.”
Radunsky said “I’m glad my daughter has moved to a different suburb.”
Jill Bishop sounded a similar note. “This is not a cease-fire resolution,” she said. “It is dividing our community and making Jews feel less safe.”
Rabbi Andrea London, of Beth Emet the Free Synagogue, said that while a cease-fire might stop some deaths now, “in the next month or so,” she asked, “what will happen if Hamas is still in power?
Another opponent said the resolution was “one-sided, inaccurate, and downright astonishing.”
With so many people signed up to speak, each person was given only 30 seconds. Of the 60 or so who came to the podium (it was also possible to comment on Zoom), opponents of the resolution outnumbered supporters by more than two-to-one.
Those backing the resolution said the Israeli assault was taking too many lives and destroying too much property.
Robin Brown, who said she is Jewish, said, “It is not antisemitic to advocate for an end to bombing.”
Andrew Ginsberg, who also backed the resolution, said, “To be Jewish is to oppose all acts of horrific mass killing.”
Despite strong words from both sides, the hearing did not dissolve into the kind of shouting matches which have been seen in other communites.
One speaker shouted “From the River to the Sea, Palestine Will Be Free,” while another proclaimed in Hebrew “Am Yisrael Chai” (“The People of Israel Live”).
But other than that, most of the outbursts came from potential speakers if those at the podium exceeded their 30 second limits.
The origin of the commission resolution, and the need to have a special meeting to consider it, remains somewhat of a mystery.
Panel chair Cannon said a commission member had brought the proposal forward, but did not identify who that person was.
Cannon said, “It was not the intent of the author to be divisive, but that is not always a bad thing.”
Ruggie said that if the commission were to vote for the resolution the law department would recommend that City Council “not move forward with it.”
I watched most of the meeting on Zoom. I am very proud of the residents in opposition to this 1 sided statement. I hope we get to the bottom of who on the committee pushed and authored this proposed statement. We need full transparency. Not sure we will get it on this issue.
There’s something manipulative and unwell about this trend of adults claiming they “feel unsafe” over words or opinions. Very disturbing to see how common this has become, especially in public life.
That said, the amount of fighting and emotion over a non-binding, inconsequential resolution that will affect absolutely NO ONE involved in a violent conflict 6,000 miles away shows how misguided people have become about local politics.
I can only hope the Equity and Empowerment Commission has as little impact on Evanston as they do Israel and Palestine.
Dog owner’s quote: “That said, the amount of fighting and emotion over a non-binding, inconsequential resolution that will affect absolutely NO ONE involved in a violent conflict 6,000 miles away shows how misguided people have become about local politics.”
Totally baffled by this statement! Words are powerful. Just look at our national chaos.
Emotions are personal, they’re real & each person is entitled to these emotions.
Taken together, words elicit emotions which have been a powerful, divisive force in our city, our state, our nation & the world, IMO.
Why in God’s name would we want to further fracture Evanston?
I hope you read this noting that, although I disagree with you, I didn’t use any disparaging words.
When my synagogue has to be guarded by armed policemen, when a restaurant I go to has a swastika spray-painted on the window, when paragliders who literally beheaded, raped, and murdered my fellow Jews are celebrated by some in my own community, then, yes, I feel unsafe. To claim my feelings are manipulative and unwell only adds to the discomfort I already feel.
One of the Commissioners, at the end of the hearing, said she felt uncomfortable disclosing the authors of the resolution because she “didn’t feel safe;” that we, the attendees, didn’t make her feel safe. What a wild thing to say! After all, it’s the Commission that proposed this harmful, divisive, one-sided resolution; not the folks sitting in that room. The Commissioners decided to go forth with a hearing, despite City Legal Counsel opining that the resolution was outside the bounds of the Commission’s purview and that it should not go to the City Council. It was the Commission that opened the door to testimony after one of the Commissioners indicated that she was opposed at the outset, that the Commission wasn’t unanimous in its support, and that she hadn’t seen this document until it was published, like the rest of us. And I won’t even get into the fact that there were at least 8 EPD there at the request of the Jewish community….and this Commissioner felt unsafe? How preposterous! At the end of the night, the result was the right one. Still, one must ask who amongst these Commissioners is fit to lead and sit on the Commission itself — after initiating that spectacle. From what I witnessed, maybe — maybe — 1-2 of the folks on the dais deserve to serve another day. Mayor Biss and City Manager Stowe need to evaluate this mess immediately & remedy the dysfunctional mess calling itself the “Equity” & “Empowerment” Commission.
Our town
Evanston – has for decades and decades and decades – foolishly been the apex of what we only recently have had a name for – virtue signaling – on national and global issues – for which said local chest up puffed proclamations have zero zero zero – less than zero – global sway
“Nuclear free zone” – just one example…
These actions, while to the most casual observer are/were worthless, have distracted citizens and leadership from addressing real issues of the city and initiatives to help ALL the people and institutions here achieve and prosper
This massively divisive issue – Gaza – if it is to galvanize- option and ordnance to ensure that ZERO – NADA – no non-city of Evanston position, proclamation, protest, boycott, – ever sees the light of day by any mayor, council , or staff department – then justice may prevail and will all cheer that logic and core bedrock values have been restored
Thank you Mayor Biss for blowing the roof off the hypocrisy of our town
The manipulation I witness here in Evanston is when the loudest group in the room doesn’t get their way, they just get louder, until they win. I think it’s possible to be critical of Israel and NOT be anti-semitic. Empathizing with Palestinian people is not the same as supporting Hamas, just as empathizing with Irish people is not the same as supporting the IRA, or empathizing with German people isn’t the same as supporting the Nazis. But in Evanston, i.e. a liberal dictatorship, free speech is only ok when whatever it you’re saying is agreed upon by the loudest 10% in town.