After several weeks of conversations with different stakeholders in the Cincinnati area, we, the undersigned, do not believe that we as a Cincinnati City Council can put forward a balanced and unifying resolution on the war in Gaza. Instead, we are asking representatives from both communities impacted by the conflict to discuss a path forward where both communities can have their voices heard. We hope such a dialogue can start to repair relationships in our city impacted by this horrible conflict. As a City Council and city, we believe fostering that conversation is critical to our community here in Cincinnati. This conflict rightfully continues to cause a great deal of pain within our city among the Palestinian-American, Jewish-American, and global communities amid the devastating loss of innocent lives. We condemn the deaths of innocent lives regardless of ethnicity or religious affinity.
We have heard from numerous individuals about our stance on the war in Gaza. Cincinnatians look to the City Council for representation on local, state, national, and international issues, and we have weighed in on occasions on international issues in which the situations promoted a sense of unity amongst disparate groups. Calling for a resolution that speaks to the experiences of all impacted will inevitably be divisive. Expecting Cincinnati City Council to take a position advocating for one specific solution to an incredibly complicated and long-lasting dispute where there are heads of state, ambassadors and the Biden administration working to resolve it is misplaced.
Our role needs to be to advocate for our entire community and focus our energy especially on solving problems at the local level in our city, and that includes unequivocally condemning the rise of Islamophobia and antisemitism in our city.
The way forward for our city is not to divide our communities even more with a resolution but rather to encourage both communities to come together to dialogue a path forward. Our city’s motto is Juncta Juvant, which can be translated as “strength in unity,” “united we aid each other,” or “together we strive.” It’s in the most challenging times when that motto is tested, and this is one of those times. But we need to pull together to be a united Cincinnati where we listen to the pain that this conflict has caused our neighbors here and plot out a path to thrive as one Cincinnati.
Councilmember Mark Jeffreys
Councilmember Reggie Harris
Councilmember Seth Walsh
