Christine Horner, copy editor

Minneapolis has joined in the ranks of some of the first cities in the country to pass a resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. This is an incredibly pivotal moment in the fight for justice for Palestine. Despite Mayor Frey’s veto, nine city council members — Paine, Wonsley, Rainville, Ellison, Osman, Cashman, Jenkins, Chavez, Chughtai and Chowdhury, to be precise — voted to pass the resolution, thus setting an example for the rest of the country.

Sana Wazwaz, a fellow Augsburg student and a valuable voice for the liberation of Palestine, said of the resolution in a press release, “Our victory signals a radical shift in what is considered acceptable criticism of Israel. A measure that was once ‘too radical’ is now becoming normalized. Minneapolis has broken that barrier, and we believe that our city will set the precedent for cities across the U.S. to continue pushing that boundary, for language to become more and more progressive. To override mayor Frey’s veto is to send the message that principles win over politics — that Minneapolis stuck to their strong language and didn’t back down despite pressure to conform to ceasefire resolution norms.”

What I believe to be especially important about this resolution is its language. Its authors wrote it in a way that is direct and unwavering. The resolution calls upon both Governor Walz and President Biden to enact a “permanent ceasefire” and “advance […] urgently needed humanitarian aid.” It also directs these state and federal government leaders to finally stop funding the state of Israel and release Palestinian prisoners. This refusal to compromise sets an example for other cities pushing for a ceasefire. In fact, some other major cities including Detroit, Seattle and Atlanta have passed resolutions of this nature also calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. Such firm, strong language is more effective than the language and resolutions that Mayor Frey introduced.

Mayor Frey proposed a revised version of the resolution in which he requested “funding for a reconciliation and a two-state solution that recognizes both Israel and Palestine,” explained Timar-Wilcox of mprnews.org. His resolution, I feel, lacks the conviction that the original presents so well. Mayor Frey claimed in his resolution that he condemns the “targeting and killing of Palestinian and Israeli civilians,” whereas the original acknowledges the “75-year displacement of Palestinians” and the “17-year blockade of Gaza.” I suppose he expects us to applaud him for publicly condemning mass murder, but voicing that condemnation does not carry the same weight as actually taking action against it, just as the nine city council members who voted for the resolution have done. 

Additionally, this resolution points out the huge numbers of displaced, missing and murdered Palestinians: more than 24,000 Gazans have been murdered in just over 100 days and over 7,000 are buried somewhere underneath detonated buildings. Most of these Gazans will probably never even receive the proper burials they deserve since this genocide is happening at such a rapid rate. On top of this, the Gaza strip only roughly spans the same distance as Las Vegas, yet just under 2 million people are expected to live there. So where are the still-living supposed to bury their dead loved ones? How can those barely surviving such conditions search for their relatives crushed underneath pounds and pounds of bricks while searching for scraps of food at the same time? 

Such issues are what come to my mind as I read the original resolution. Mayor Frey’s resolution? Not so much. Where his is passive, the original is passionate.