The council approved the resolution by a 5-0-2 vote after dozens of residents turned out at the Activity Center on Washington Street to voice their support. More than 25,000 Palestinians have died since October as a result of the Israel-Hamas war, according to health officials in Gaza. Many of Monday’s speakers labeled Israel’s continued bombing of Gaza as a genocide of the Palestinian people.
Newburgh resident Peter Frase said the city has a moral obligation to speak out.
“Years from now we will look back on this moment and ask each other, ‘Where did you stand, and what did you do?’" he asked. "I’ll remember where the city of Newburgh stood, and where its leadership stood, and I think a lot of other people in Newburgh will too.”
The resolution demonstrates a shifting dynamic for some Hudson Valley communities since October 7, when the terrorist organization Hamas killed more than 1,200 Israel citizens and took hundreds more hostage in a brazen attack. Back then, there was more vocal support for Israel: New York City is home to the second-largest Jewish population in the world, according to the mayor’s office, and that extends into its neighboring counties. Democratic Congressman Pat Ryan says Orange County residents were among those killed or taken hostage by Hamas.
Months later, however, protests calling for an end to the war have sprung up across the Hudson Valley. Newburgh is the second city in New York to call for a ceasefire, behind Albany. A similar measure in Kingston failed to reach a vote in committee last week.
Resident Carla Johnson says the war has become a frequent subject in her household.
“I have an 8-year-old talking about it," she said. "She asks a million questions. You turn on the TV it’s there. People are being affected by it. Pat Ryan’s got to do something about it.”
State and federal lawmakers, including Ryan, have favored the use of temporary ceasefires to exchange hostages and bring humanitarian aid to Gaza, saying Hamas likely won't abide by a permanent ceasefire.
Israeli officials say Hamas still holds more than 130 hostages. Both sides are currently negotiating a potential ceasefire of one to two months, according to multiple reports. Ryan spoke about the issue on a recent WAMC Congressional Corner appearance:
"A return of the hostages and, to me, a surrender or a dismantling of Hamas — which has never been about taking care of the Palestinian people, it's a literal terrorist group — those are critical, necessary preconditions before you can really talk about a peace," said Ryan.
Some Newburgh residents questioned whether the city should weigh in on foreign affairs at all. Drew Kartiganer kicked off the public comment period by suggesting Newburgh would be better off focusing on crime and violence at home.
"Don’t you have better things to do than waste everyone’s time and city money on this resolution?" he asked.
Others pointed out that taxpayer money is going into the conflict. The U.S. currently sends about $3.8 billion in military aid to Israel each year, and after October 7, President Biden asked Congress to provide an additional $14 billion. The Council on Foreign Relations, a nonpartisan thinktank, says Israel has received more U.S. foreign aid than any other country since World War II.
Residents like Sade Burkes told the the city council that money could go toward addressing local issues like homelessness and housing.
“You just had a woman stand up here and complain about how she can’t get the proper busing because she lives in a hotel. And we’re sending money over there for [Israel] to live great?" she asked. "We can’t even find dentists for our kids.”
Still, some worried the resolution could stoke division in Newburgh. At least two speakers told the council the resolution made them feel unsafe. One woman, who identified herself only as a Jewish-Hispanic resident named Mariel, said she worries the measure could fuel a spike in antisemitism.
“I cry for the hostages held by Hamas, and I cry for the children under the rubble in Gaza. The pain is everywhere," she noted. "If you are an American Jewish person, whether or not you are related to Israel, feel connected, or even care about Israel — you are, at this moment in history, seen by the world as linked to Israel.”
In a letter to the Jewish Federation of Greater Orange County, Rabbi Doug Kohn of Temple Beth Jacob urged Jewish residents not to attend the meeting and, as he put it, “get in the mud with the mud-wrestlers.” Instead, Kohn urged members of the Jewish community to talk to their representatives in private.
Third Ward Councilor Robert Sklars and Second Ward Councilor Roberta Monteverde both abstained from the vote, saying they received a number of conflicting calls from friends, family, and constituents. Sklars said he’d like to pull the community together to agree on language for a resolution, but he also wonders whether Newburgh needs to take a stance on international affairs.
Mayor Torrence Harvey said the resolution calls for peace on both sides.
“If anyone can twist and spin a narrative that asking for a humanitarian ceasefire, asking for all hostages — Jews, Palestinians, gentiles [to be released] — [is wrong], it’s a wrong spin, and it’s the wrong narrative," he added. "I will be voting for the ceasefire.”
The resolution is being sent to President Biden, U.S. Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, and Congressman Ryan — as well as state representatives like Senator Rob Rolison and Assemblyman Jonathan Jacobson.
You can the resolution in full below:
