Yesterday the Philadelphia City Council passed the O’Neill Resolution supporting United States Senate Resolution 185 and United States House Resolution 268 – Reaffirming the Commitment of the United States to a Negotiated Settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. In short, Philadelphia City Council took on the business of the Middle East in lock step with Obama’s position to veto the Palestinian bid for statehood at the U.N. next week.
Jewish residents from one particular district brought this issue to their Councilman. Then claiming to represent the Jewish community of Philadelphia, they enlisted support from several prominent members of mainstream Jewish organizations including the Israeli Consulate, the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, and the American Jewish Committee, all of whom came out to speak in favor of the Resolution. Their theme was consistent: A lasting peace can only be achieved through a negotiated settlement. No unilateral decisions. There were a few rants about rockets and Palestinian terrorists, Hamas, and my favorite: “Israel would return to the negotiating table at any time with no preconditions” (except the requirement that Palestinians renounce violence and affirm Israel’s right to exist).
“This resolution does not represent me as a Jew or as a Philadelphian. There is no decision that City Council could make that would garner favor among Philadelphia’s Jewish community because we are not monolithic, do not speak with a single voice…” That’s what I went there to say. I’m tired of people and states presuming to speak for me as a Jew. I went to City Council to speak against this Resolution. Philadelphia City Council should address issues that concern Philadelphians such as unemployment and public school funding.
Truth be told, I find the proposed Palestinian bid for statehood problematic in its present form because it does not address the rights of refugees or Palestinians who are citizens of Israel. As a Jewish Palestine solidarity activist, I support Palestinian sovereignty, international law, and human rights. I endorse the 2005 Palestinian Civil Society Call for boycott, divestment, and sanctions against Israel.
I feel a tension between personally opposing the bid for statehood on grounds that it sells out the rights of refugees, but then watching the Zionist right work to sabotage the Palestinian effort for entirely different reasons. Perhaps I should have introduced a resolution in favor of Obama’s veto because the UN resolution fails to recognize the rights of all Palestinians. Refugees and Palestinian Israelis have no seat at this table, and many oppose this current push for statehood for that reason. All this complicates the definition of Palestine solidarity. In cases of political conflict among Palestinians, which Palestinians do we support?
The City of Philadelphia will be informing Susan Rice of today’s decision. My Councilman, Curtis Jones, was in a tough position as a Muslim and had considered abstaining from the vote. In the end, he voted against the Resolution. I’d like to think that my presence helped to make the difference.
