Updated on January 11 at 12:45 p.m. ET
Defying calls from several community members, the East Lansing City Council rejected a resolution that would have called for a ceasefire in Gaza.
The city's Human Rights Commission drafted the resolution, which called on the state's congressional delegation and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to call "for an immediate de-escalation and permanent ceasefire in Gaza,” calling Israel’s military actions in the Palestinian territory a “war crime.”
While all councilmembers expressed a desire for the violence to end, the group was not unanimous in deciding what the city’s stance should be. The vote was 1-4, with Councilmember Dana Watson supporting the resolution, and Mayor George Brookover and Councilmembers Erik Altmann and Mark Meadows in opposition.
Councilmember Kerry Ebersole Singh appeared to remain silent during the vote, which would have allowed her vote to be counted with the majority in opposition. But Ebersole Singh old WKAR Wednesday that she voted against the resolution and may have turned her microphone off too quickly for her voice to be picked up.
Altmann acknowledged the suffering occurring in the Middle East, but said it was not East Lansing’s place to wade into a complex geopolitical conflict.
“I understand that there's a role for symbolic motions,” Altmann said. “But we do not have authority to do anything in terms of foreign policy. We have no authority over how the federal government spends your federal taxes.”
Watson pushed back and said the council had a responsibility to respond to community members’ outcry against the war. She condemned the deaths as “inhumane.”
“Violence begets violence,” Watson said. “I want to stand on the right side of history, which is peace and a ceasefire. My place is never to stand down in the face of injustices. And silence, as some people said, is acceptance.”
Other Michigan municipalities have considered ceasefire resolutions during the three month-long war. Detroit, Dearborn and Ypsilanti have passed measures condemning violence against Israelis and Palestinians. Over a dozen community members urged the City Council in neighboring Lansing this week to introduce and pass a resolution.
The East Lansing resolution prompted substantial feedback ahead of the vote, with several residents writing messages to council in support of and opposition to the ceasefire measure.
More than two dozen people came to the Hannah Community Center Tuesday to support the resolution. The coalition included a mix of students, teachers and activists.
Waseem El-Rayes, who teaches Muslim studies at Michigan State University and is Palestinian, urged the council to take a stand against the violence his family is experiencing in Gaza.
"Please do not forfeit your moral duty to say, 'not in our name,'" El-Rayes said. "I plead with you on behalf of my family and the more than 2 million suffering Gazans to say enough is enough. Please endorse this resolution."
Israel’s offensive has displaced most of the territory’s 2.3 million residents. According to the Gaza Health Ministry, more than 23,200 Palestinians have been killed in the war, mostly women and children. The military campaign follows attacks on Israel by Hamas on Oct. 7, which killed 1,200 Israelis.
Those deaths include Tariq Thabet, a Fulbright scholar at MSU who, according to the Islamic Center of East Lansing, was killed in an Israeli air strike.
“If the U.S. government demands a permanent ceasefire and turns off the spigot of military and financial aid, Israel would have to comply,” said East Lansing resident Laura Sager. “Then the devastation and trauma of the bombardment could be addressed, and countless lives would be saved.“
Some speakers described Israel’s war effort as a “genocide” against Palestinians.
“The Israeli government has proven that it cannot efficiently target Hamas without targeting all of the civilians in Gaza,” said Ayan Ajeen, a Palestinian American law student at MSU.
“If you think calling for an end to killing is divisive, then that's something you need to address within yourself because calling for an end to killing should never be a two-sided issue. It is just a human rights issue,” Ajeen said.
The resolution before the council accused the Israeli government of violating international law and “collectively punishing the entire population of Gaza.” It further stated that East Lansing residents are spending more than $500,000 in federal taxes to fund the Israeli military, citing data from the advocacy group US Campaign for Palestinian Rights.
"We should focus on diplomatically ending conflict and advocate for demilitarization around the globe," the resolution read, calling for an “immediate, permanent ceasefire, and lifting of the siege on Gaza and releasing of civilians by both parties in the conflict; and that peaceful diplomacy is the only way to achieve this safety and dignity."
East Lansing Human Rights Commissioner Thasin Sardar said an affirmative vote would show that the city stands for a peaceful solution to the conflict.
“We trust that your commitment to the sanctity of human life will guide your decision and rise above any coercive influences,” Sardar said. “This is a bare-bones resolution. You can be remembered for calling for an end to crimes against humanity, or forever be remembered for failing to do your part to stop the genocide.”
Though the majority of attendees voiced support for the resolution, some community members at the meeting opposed the measure and expressed concern with its language.
Cindy Hughey directs MSU Hillel, a Jewish resource center for students. She called the resolution unbalanced and divisive for condemning Israeli actions but failing to mention Hamas.
"Nowhere in there does it mention their culpability, and because of that, I think you will do much harm in this community among the Jewish community members," Hughey said.
MSU student Matthew Zivian said his cousin was killed in Hamas captivity last year, after militants took some 250 Israelis hostage at the start of the war. He said Jewish residents feel unsafe in East Lansing.
"I invite you all to dip your toes in geopolitics and solve international crises, but please actually consider the real harm that's being done to residents that live in East Lansing that are happening day in and day out," Zivian said.
Councilmember Ebersole Singh said she could support a ceasefire resolution, but not without modifications to the document. She attempted to have the resolution tabled and to have the council go into recess for amending. Both efforts were unsuccessful.
Mayor Brookover, who opposed the measure, said symbolic resolutions like one calling for a ceasefire are “counterproductive” and that the best way for the community to use its voice was at the ballot box.
He thanked members of the public for sharing their comments.
“Tonight was a good process,” he said. “You're not going to get what you wanted tonight. But we went through a process of dialogue between the sides.”
After the council vote, several attendees jeered and began making remarks in disapproval. Brookover gaveled multiple times and moved on with the meeting’s agenda.
Watson criticized the council for not engaging with the Human Rights Commission ahead of time to get a resolution before them that they could support. She said commission members reached out several times to ask if the group had any input or questions and never heard a reply.
“This could have been a message to the people running, that we're watching, and we're listening, and we're not happy, and we want something different to happen,” Watson said. “And sometimes it takes a tiny community to remind them of that.”
“This is really sad,” she added. “People came to us and we let them down.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
