Syracuse Common Councilors roundly defeated a resolution calling for lawmakers to support a ceasefire in the Middle East in a contentious meeting Monday.
As lawmakers were voting, the mostly pro-resolution crowd, expressed their opinion yelling "Shame" as the vote struck down the resolution.
The resolution called on the president and Congress to support ending all hostilities, releasing hostages, and promoting peace in Israel and Gaza. Only its sponsor, Chol Majok, a refugee from the Sudan, voted for it.
"Dear children of Israel and Gaza, I pray that this horrific and unfortunate war on you come to an end," Majok said. "May these words and the act of the vote today help give you a second chance of life like it did for me 23 years ago through the act of so many who heard our cry in the jungle of Sudan."
But no other lawmaker agreed. Pat Hogan noted most of the more than 2,000 thousand emails received on the issue since last week, were not local.
"The vast majority of these emails have come from individuals who do not live in Syracuse," Hogan said. "In fact, most of these emails do not even come from people who live in New York state. This fact demonstrates to us that Syracuse has become a proxy fight in a larger debate."
Before the vote, Hogan and other lawmakers said the council should focus on issues like poverty, a housing shortage, and violence in Syracuse, instead of international issues.
“This proposed resolution will have no impact on international decision-making," Hogan said. "Yet has effectively created a rift in our community and pity neighbors against neighbors.”
