Bethlehem Council debates Mideast war
Meeting over cease-fire resolution abruptly adjourned amid protests
Bethlehem City Council abruptly ended its meeting in the wee hours Wednesday morning following five hours of public testimony both in favor and against a proposed resolution calling for a cease-fire in Gaza.
Council President Michael Colon asked to adjourn the meeting just after midnight when a group of protesters began standing and chanting “cease-fire now,” disrupting the meeting just before council members were to proceed with their regularly scheduled agenda.
Political organizers and activists from groups including My Lehigh Valley, a pro-Palestine youth organization, and Student Political Action Committee of Lehigh University held a rally at 5 p.m. at Farrington Square on Lehigh’s campus before proceeding to Bethlehem City Hall for a vigil and the public comment period at City Council’s meeting Tuesday. The activists were calling for Bethlehem City Council to pass a resolution in favor of a cease-fire in Gaza.
A city resolution would be a purely symbolic move, but would represent council’s stance on the ongoing conflict. Around 70 municipalities nationwide have passed a resolution calling for a cease-fire in Gaza, including Chicago, Seattle, Minneapolis and San Francisco.
Bethlehem City Council chambers were
“The only humane response to such horror is to call for an immediate end to the killing. It is time for profound moral courage, and to rewrite this city’s shameful history of silence in the face of atrocities.”
— Corey Fischer-Hoffman, Jewish Voices for Peace
packed to capacity Tuesday night, with people filling seats and spilling into the hallways to speak out about the conflict.
Israel’s military offensive is estimated to have killed more than 30,000 in Gaza, many of them women and children, since Hamas’ attack Oct. 7 in Israel, which killed around 1,200 Israelis in one day. Militants also abducted around 250 hostages, around 100 of whom continue to be held in Gaza, along with the remains of about 30 others. Humanitarian conditions in Gaza have worsened, as 1.9 million people have been displaced and the region faces a famine amid a lack of adequate humanitarian aid.
Activists appeared at Allentown and Bethlehem City Council meetings two weeks ago, and spoke in favor of cease-fire resolutions in public comment periods that stretched over several hours. Bethlehem Council members last week discussed the prospect of introducing a cease-fire resolution at Tuesday’s meeting, but council members opted not to do so.
Members including Hillary Kwiatek and Bryan Callahan worked on drafts of a cease-fire resolution, but opted not to introduce them for a vote as news of a possible cease-fire agreement between Israel and Hamas developed.
Instead, Bethlehem City Council members authored a letter addressed to Pennsylvania’s federal elected officials, calling for “continued action at the highest level of government to use all their power to act with urgency on peace in the ongoing conflict.”
City Council solicitor Stephanie Steward said council would be unable to vote on a cease-fire resolution Tuesday because doing so would violate the Sunshine Act, which requires that agenda items are posted publicly in advance of a city meeting.
Pro-cease-fire speakers on Tuesday described the human toll of Israel’s attacks in Gaza and criticized City Council for opting not to introduce a resolution after their discussion two weeks ago.
“The only humane response to such horror is to call for an immediate end to the killing,” said Corey Fischer-Hoffman, who said they are a member of Jewish Voices for Peace. “It is time for profound moral courage, and to rewrite this city’s shameful history of silence in the face of atrocities.”
Protest organizers read out loud their proposed language for a City Council resolution, which would call for an immediate, permanent cease-fire; increased humanitarian aid to Gazans; an end to U.S. financial support of the Israeli military; and the release of hostages.
Several opposing speakers defended Israel’s offensive; criticized a prospective cease-fire resolution for being outside the scope of City Council’s responsibility; and held Hamas responsible for the ongoing conflict, as the group that controls much of Gaza is still harboring Israeli hostages taken Oct 7.
“If you vote in favor of a cease-fire, you are enabling the continuation of the 76-year war,” Amy Fells said. “You would be rewarding terrorists, you would be asserting Israel does not have a right to defend herself.”
Bethlehem City Council ultimately did not hold any votes on any matter, because members opted to adjourn the meeting right after the public comment period ended. As Colon attempted to proceed with the agenda, which included votes on budget adjustments, a liquor license transfer and a contract for July 4 fireworks, a group of people began to stand and chant “cease-fire now.”
“Everyone, order here in the council chamber, I ask everyone to respect the order of the council meeting, we will continue on with our council meeting this evening,” Colon said, and banged his gavel several times as the chants continued.
Protesters continued to chant in spite of Colon’s request, and Council member Grace Crampsie Smith motioned to adjourn the meeting, which other council members approved. The room erupted in loud shouting after the vote to adjourn.
Colon said City Council would vote on the Tuesday agenda items at its next regularly scheduled meeting March 19. He said he was “disappointed” that council was unable to proceed with its regularly scheduled agenda.
“I feel that we were left in a position with no choice, given the disruption, it was just impractical to find a path forward, given what was going on in that room, that we had to adjourn,” Colon said.