Joining the city of Northampton, as well as Somerville and Cambridge on the other side of the state, the town council in Amherst passed its own resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.
The councilors had their final vote right before midnight, during a session that featured hours of public comment, followed by debate that, at one point, left the resolution’s passage in doubt.
Before the council began discussing the proposed “Resolution in support of a ceasefire in Gaza,” the first three hours of the meeting were devoted to locals.
“Hundreds of your constituents have spoken out on this matter - we urge you to vote. Thank you,” said Amherst resident John Bonifaz, who called on the council to decide Monday night, rather than postpone a vote.
In the Amherst Regional Middle School’s auditorium, dozens upon dozens of locals had the floor – a majority voicing support for the resolution.
A number of the speakers also referenced the fact that a resolution condemning Hamas passed the council relatively quickly last year, following the attacks on October 7.
One speaker in favor of Monday's resolution was Hadley resident Rabbi Devorah Jacobson, who noted she had been involved in giving feedback on the 2023 measure.
“And though my intention is not to add to the divisiveness and frustration - I do feel moved to come forward and forcefully advocate now for this resolution,” Jacobson told the council.
Much like the resolution that passed in Northampton, the document references the 1,200 civilians killed by Hamas, as well as the 30,000 Palestinians killed during Israel’s response.
It also mentions the Israeli hostages held by Hamas and Palestinian prisoners jailed by Israel, as well as the two million Palestinians left homeless due to the siege.
The measure goes on to describe the military aid to Israel provided by the Untied States, the conflict spreading to surrounding areas, and asks that the resolution be mailed to the White House, as well as officials such as Massachusetts Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey.
The public comment section also featured a number of locals opposing the resolution, with several saying the item does not do enough to condemn Hamas.
Lisa Perlbinder is an Amherst resident who said that at the root of the current fighting is Israel defending itself, following what she called a ceasefire broken by Hamas.
In addition to describing what she calls Hamas's opposition to the peace process, she says any resolution passed will not bring about peace.
“I come to my council for parking tickets, not for foreign policy,” she added.
Just after 9:30 p.m., the council began deliberating, with one of its sponsors, Councilor Pat De Angelis, putting forward a number of amendments, including updated death toll numbers, new community sponsors of the document, and other minor changes.
De Angelis added that the resolution was, in-part, written in collaboration with the group “Amherst for Ceasefire.”
The alterations irked Councilor Andy Steinberg, who took issue with the fact that the resolution itself was not the product of conversations within the council, and that its sponsors had requested an up-or-down vote on the existing language.
Steinberg also put forward two lines that nearly derailed the entire meeting.
“One to add – a ‘whereas clause’ – that Hamas positioned the military assets in Gaza such that many Gaza residents are in harm’s way,” he said.
The other line stated “both sides” were continuing to fight, putting civilians in both Gaza and Israel at risk.
The amendments passed, leading to shouts of “shame” from the pro-resolution members of the crowd.
The amendments’ inclusion led to sponsors De Angelis, Ellisha Walker, and Mandi Jo Hanneke withdrawing their names from the item, with the group saying the new items diluted the message.
The resolution was then left without a sponsor, potentially leaving it to die on the vine, before a new round of back-and-forth commenced.
Following confusion over who was voting on what, the council ultimately decided to strip away the Steinberg amendments, teeing up a late night passage of the resolution at 11:30 p.m.
But not before councilor and sponsor Ellisha Walker reiterated the following -
“We have already supported the residents who wanted us to condemn Hamas, that resolution still stands. We are now looking to tell or signal to the residents in this town that we value the lives of Palestinians,” Walker said.
The Amherst town council passed its resolution less than a week after Northampton’s city council passed its own.
