State College council withdraws resolution calling for cease-fire in Israel-Hamas war

The State College Borough Council won’t consider a resolution calling for an immediate de-escalation and permanent cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war after the proposal drew an impassioned response from community members.

The 4-2 vote to withdraw the resolution came Monday night at a special council meeting and two weeks after council member Gopal Balachandran put up a draft resolution. That draft was withdrawn by Balachandran during a Nov. 20 meeting that saw many people speak in public comment, both in support and in opposition to the measure. The council then voted unanimously to add a resolution with new language to the Dec. 4 meeting agenda.

The resolution on the table Monday stated the borough:

• “Condemns antisemitism, Islamophobia and racism in all its forms;

• Expresses sympathy for all the civilian victims and those affected by the violence;

• Urges the Biden Administration to immediately call for a permanent, bilateral ceasefire to end the violence in the region with the release of all civilians being illegally held or imprisoned on both sides of the conflict, along with the establishment of humanitarian corridors and humanitarian assistance into Gaza; and

• Calls upon the Biden Administration to negotiate for a fair peace for Israelis and Palestinians, which respects the human rights of all.”

Speaking to a packed council chambers, Balachandran explained his reasons for bringing forth the resolution, saying his desire for a cease-fire “comes from a pretty straightforward impulse.”

“I really want to stop seeing the killing of children, which is occurring at a very large and unique scale, according to reporting from various sources,” he said. “And, I want to add, I want to see the hostages who are currently held in Gaza returned. I also worry about deeper humanitarian issues involving lack of water, so on and so forth, and I also strongly believe in non-violence and believe that an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind, in the words of Gandhi.”

He said he appreciated and respected the community coming out to speak their opinions on the resolution.

With more than 60 people in attendance and more online, time constraints allowed about nine people to speak during public comment Monday. They included Penn State professors, students and other residents from State College and the surrounding area, some of whom supported the measure and others who questioned the impact it could have on the community.

After public comment, State College Mayor Ezra Nanes, who is not a voting member of council, asked council members not to pass the resolution. He said the attempt to write something that is “healing and unifying for this community” was unsuccessful.

“We have a duty to serve all members of this community. And this is a resolution, it is a statement of values, it’s a position on a political situation. It is not zoning. Zoning we disagree, there are winners and losers. Lighting above a football field, there are winners and losers, but we disagree and we agreed to live together. This is a different matter, because it is a statement of values, of morals, that the council does not have to issue for us to all say what we think and feel. So I’m saying this because I personally do not feel we can pass a resolution and do our job as council. And so I’m asking council to withdraw the resolution,” Nanes said.

Pia Smal, a borough resident, said she’s not “for any war,” but said during public comment that she had concerns about the resolution. The borough’s focus should be on creating a safe, inclusive and just community for everyone, because many who live here do not currently feel that way, she said.

“The resolution calls for an immediate de-escalation and permanent cease-fire in Israel and Palestine. Nowhere in the resolution do you name Hamas, which falsely implies that this is a war against Palestine and not a war against terrorism or a response to the terrorist act, which saw the murder of 1,200 civilians, the rape of dozens of men and women and the kidnapping of 247 men, women and children,” Smal said. “Secondly, I implore you to consider the resolution that this impact might have on our community. We are a globally and religiously diverse community, with many of our community members having ties to both Israel and Palestine. I question the decision to put forth this statement and I question who is invited to the table to draft it.”

Tamir Sorek, a Penn State professor who specializes in Israel/Palestine history and society, supported the cease-fire resolution.

“If you want to save the life of Israelies and Palestinains, we have to call for an immediate cease-fire, immediate de-escalation, because the way we’re going will end in a genocide of one side or even the other. And therefore, even though I agree that State College is not directly involved, but this is a moral emergency for everyone,” Sorek said.

Others questioned why the resolution is something that the council is considering at all, and argued that it doesn’t relate to their jobs as council members and their actions won’t have an impact on the war.

Council member Nalini Krishnankutty, who voted against withdrawing the resolution with Balachandran, said people are closest to their local governments, such as borough councils, and people across the nation have asked their city councils to pass similar resolutions. She said they heard from Penn State students who had family members missing due to the war, so there is a local impact, too.

“So for us to say, does this have local impact or not? We know that it does. We heard from a professor who was online last (meeting), to talk about their students facing Islamophobia, antisemitism, there are national statistics that show both on the rise. So there is local impact,” she said.

Council President Jesse Barlow said this has weighed heavily on him. He agreed with the resolution but didn’t think his opinion of it should be the opinion of the borough or the council.

“I think that if I do express my opinion, I will show up in the public square like all of you are able to do,” Barlow said. “I have a lot of respect for Mr. Balachandran in putting forward this resolution, I have a lot of respect for his courage for doing so.”