Brooklyn Park City Council Tables Gaza Ceasefire Resolution Indefinitely

You won’t be hearing the Brooklyn Park City Council’s opinion on the war in Gaza anytime soon.

The city council indefinitely tabled a resolution calling for a ceasefire on Monday.

Brooklyn Park’s Human Rights Commission asked the council to consider the resolution, which also called for the United States to end military funding for Israel and for Hamas to release all Israeli hostages. 

“The Palestinian people have been subjected to over 120 days of bombings and killings that have displaced close to two million people, killed over 30,000 people (half of them women and children), and destroyed all hospitals and universities,” wrote the commission in a letter to the council dated Feb. 6. “While we acknowledge the events of Oct. 7th, 2023 were horrific, the exponential retaliation by the oppressive and occupying force has shown the world that there is no intention of stopping until the Palestinian people no longer exist.”

The Brooklyn Park City Council indefinitely tabled a resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza on Monday.

The Brooklyn Park City Council balked at the request, with some members saying they should focus on the local issues within the council’s purview. 

“There’s many, many wars — there’s many, many things that’s going on in this country that we can always write a letter to,” said Brooklyn Park City Council Member Boyd Morson. “And I don’t think the city wants to open up a can of worms to do that.”

The council voted 5-2 to table the resolution.

Brooklyn Park City Council Members Christian Eriksen and XP Lee cast the dissenting votes. 

“I believe that what’s happening today in Gaza is, without reservation, genocide and/or ethnic cleansing,” Eriksen said. “I also believe that this resolution creates a profound and complicated precedent for a city … I also believe that when a commission brings forth a resolution, that it should receive a fair hearing.”

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