CINCINNATI — Cincinnati City Council passed a resolution Wednesday calling for a six-week ceasefire in the Israel-Gaza war.
City council considered two resolutions about the war, including one proposing a permanent ceasefire. That resolution, which was submitted by council member Meeka Owens, was rejected.
Council did pass a resolution that was submitted by council members Anna Albi, Reggie Harris, Mark Jeffreys, Victoria Parks and Seth Walsh.
That resolution asked city council to express sympathy for the "ongoing human suffering caused by the current conflict in the Middle East." Namely it asked council to support negotiations in Cairo, where negotiators are working on a six-week truce deal before the start of Ramadan.
The resolution also calls for hostages to be released, as well as unrestricted humanitarian aid.
The Jewish Federation of Cincinnati praised the resolution, saying its wording "unites rather than divides us."
"It reflects the Jewish community's aspiration — shared by numerous Cincinnati residents — that considerate and steadfast negotiation will lead to peace for Israelis and Palestinians alike," the federation said in a statement.
The resolutions come almost a month after more than 100 people stood in front of city council calling for a ceasefire. After a public comment session that lasted four hours during the Feb. 14 meeting, Mayor Aftab Pureval said he didn’t believe the city should take up a resolution, which was never formally on the day's agenda.
There were multiple residents who spoke about the resolutions during Wednesday's meeting.
Julia Marchese, who attended the February meeting, told WCPO 9 she acknowledged that a ceasefire resolution from Cincinnati won't change the war abroad, but passing such a resolution “communicates to Palestinian-Americans in Cincinnati that their municipality actually cares about them.”
The federation also said the actions approved in the resolution "symbolize [their] hope to mend relations between our Jewish and Muslim communities in Cincinnati, advancing us toward lasting peace that benefits all, including Israelis, Palestinians and Cincinnatians alike."
