On Monday the Burr Ridge Board of Trustees passed a resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.
For the past two board meetings, members of the public have urged the mayor and board to speak out against the ongoing Israel-Hamas war which has reportedly left tens of thousands of Palestinian civilians killed in the Gaza Strip, wounded tens of thousands more, and displaced over one million people. The conflict started on Oct. 7, when Hamas attacked Israel, taking 250 hostages and killing 1,200 people, mostly civilians.
Sunday marked the six-month anniversary of the conflict which has led to Israel shuttering land crossings into Gaza and, with that, a famine as well as a shortage of water and medical aid.
Burr Ridge Mayor Gary Grasso said he drafted the resolution with help from members of the Muslim community in the area, though the resolution was amended at the meeting to remove mention of genocide and ethnic cleansing.
Burr Ridge Mayor Gary Grasso addresses the audience Monday at the village board meeting. (Jesse Wright)
As it had been drafted, the resolution read, in part, “Village of Burr Ridge and its residents condemn and stand resolute against all acts of terrorism, and all forms of racism, anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, ethnic cleansing, genocide, the massacre of innocent peoples, and every form of hatred amongst humanity.”
Grasso said he wanted to remove the two terms to focus on the humanitarian crisis at hand and the need for food, water, and other aid in the area. The rest of the resolution passed 5-0, with Trustee Al Paveza absent, though Grasso said Paveza supported the resolution.
“It’s drafted very well and it addresses all the humanitarian issues,” said Trustee Tony Sciappa. “As we are elected by the people, we work for the people and so when they come to us for help it’s something we have to take seriously into consideration. This is something our residents came to us for help and we are putting forth this resolution. … We stand united for humanitarian issues and aid and we want peace in the Middle East and we stand united with them.”
Once again, the Burr Ridge Village Hall was filled past capacity to standing-room-only with dozens of Muslims as well as at least one Jewish person and a person who identified as non-denominational who supported the resolution.
One Muslim man, Nizam Khatib, a Burr Ridge resident, said the resolution was strong, though he — and others — did question the removal of the terms genocide and ethnic cleansing. Still, as the vote approached, they praised its likely passage and the board’s full support of the ceasefire resolution.
Nizam Khatib speaks in support of a village resolution in Burr Ridge on Monday calling for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war. (Jesse Wright)
“Today I stand before you with a renewed sense of optimism,” said Peter Kozak-Rivera, who identified himself as a Jew. “I do hope you’ll pass it. This is a reasonable resolution.”
President Joe Biden has expressed disappointment with the situation. But, despite worsening conditions and the president calling for an immediate ceasefire, Congress has not passed any such resolution. Still, Kozak-Rivera, that shouldn’t stop local leadership.
“Our voices might not be heard in Washington, but right here in our community our voices can make a difference,” he said. “In times of crisis, it’s so easy to feel powerless to believe our actions cannot make a difference, but each gesture of solidarity has the potential to ripple outward and make an impact.”
After the resolution passed, Grasso said the resolution is local business.
“Some people may question this resolution as village business,” Grasso said. “Some people may question whether this matters. Some people may question whether it has any effect. It is my opinion as mayor that this matters. It concerns the well-being of civilians and civilian lives. … it will be effective because we have raised our collective voices for peace.”
Jesse Wright is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
