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Somerville becomes first city in Mass. to call for ceasefire in Gaza
City Council President Ben Ewen-Campen: "This is the right thing to do."
Somerville became the first city in Massachusetts to formally call for a ceasefire in Gaza after a tense 3-hour city council meeting last week.
City Council President Ben Ewen-Campen spoke to a full room on Thursday night, when he brought forward his resolution to call for an “enduring ceasefire in Gaza.” Councilors called on about a dozen community members, including Holocaust survivor descents, Palestinians, and a rabbi to speak.
After amendments to the text, the resolution passed 9-2. Councilor-At-Large Kristen Strezo and City Council Vice President Judy Pineda Neufeld voted against.
“Whether you are opposed to this resolution, whether you’re in support of it, whether you wish that we weren’t even taking it up, all of us are part of one community,” Ewen-Campen, who is Jewish, said. “Tomorrow, we will all wake up as neighbors.”
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Since Oct. 7, when over 1,200 Israelis were killed and 240 taken hostage, more than 24,000 Palestinians have been killed and 60,000 have been wounded, including children, according to the adopted resolution.
Other Massachussets political figures have also called for ceasefires or temporary ceasefires. Rep. Ayanna Pressley, Rep. James McGovern, and Sen. Elizabeth Warren have all called for an end to the violence in Gaza. Earlier this month, Sen. Ed Markey has also called for a ceasefire to allow for Gaza to receive humanitarian aid.
Many city councilors were close to tears as they discussed their thoughts on approving the resolution. Several said that the council had received thousands of messages on the topic from constituents.
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The debate ranged from concerns about how voting on the resolution could divide Somerville residents, whether the council had the right to weight in on an international issue, and whether to hold off on the vote or move ahead that night.
The resolution itself, before amendments, called for “an enduring ceasefire, the provision of life-saving humanitarian aid in Gaza, and the release of all hostages, detainees and political prisoners on all sides.” It also condemned hateful attacks and urged the federal government to follow their resolution.
Councilor Lance Davis said “there’s no good answer here,” saying that any vote would hurt people in Somerville.
Councilor Matthew McLaughlin said he felt the discussion around the resolution had distracted him from focusing on the city’s issues, such as homelessness.
“It is a real impact on our ability to do the city’s business,” Davis said. He said that to discuss the ceasefire resolution, his colleagues had to reschedule a meeting about zoning, which in part addressed the affordable housing crisis.
City Councilor At-Large Jake Wilson voiced his support for the resolution, specifically, he said, because it is “anti-war and anti-hate.”
Amendments shifted city council’s vote
The approved amendments included removing “detainees and political prisoners on all sides,” asserting Israel’s right to defend itself, and condemns Hamas’s actions on Oct. 7.
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Davis, among other councilors, approved the resolution with the amendments after their initial reticence. Davis thanked Ewen-Campen for being open to changes.
City council was working with the resolution and suggesting amendments during the meeting. Somerville GovTV
Strezo, who is also Jewish, brought forward an amendment in addition to the approved changes. She wanted to add that “the city council demands a dismantling of Hamas as part of a cease fire and for lasting peace and a dismantling of the Netanyahu administration.”
“It would help for collaboration and would get me to vote in support of this resolution because it has been clear that it helps with the feeling of isolation that some Jews feel in this process,” Strezo said.
That amendment failed at a vote 5-6.
“There’s technically legal concerns or at least theoretically legal concerns about a municipal legislative branch calling for the end of elected governments in many countries,” Davis said. “Probably not where we want to go.”
The vote passed with a resounding applause from the packed room. A Palestinian flag was waved over the crowd, while others held up Israeli flags.
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