Public Comment

I do not support the Israeli occupation of Palestine. Just based on the human rights offenses and war crimes alone, there is no way the City of Cleveland should be in support of this.

I was watching today’s council meeting and heard some people talking about the city spending money with Israel. I’m going to do my own research but I really hope this is not true because I am tired of our federal government sending Israel billions of dollars each year and we get nothing in return and now they’re trying to drag us into a war, is there anywhere I can see who authorized money to be spent in Israel? I work very hard and can barely make ends meet to be allowing my tax dollars to go to a different country.

Just wanted to say that I will no longer support councilman McCormack due to his support of Israel. My family has been huge supporters of his for many years now and we no longer can continue our support. As a Jewish American, and an Ohio business owner, whose family company employees over 500 people we cannot support the genocide that’s taking place in Gaza. I completely understand that some console members do not really know what’s going on over there, and that they only hear certain things from certain people with certain agendas but playing ignorance and not knowing is definitely going to start costing people their positions. There is no justifying the many, many years of horrible things that Israel has done to innocent civilians! McCormack you have lost our support, Griffin you have lost our support, Mayor you have lost our support! My family and I are still in discussion, but we may start a ad campaign against all political individuals who have pledged her allegiance to Israel.

I do not support the apartheid state that Israel has become; nor the genocide/ethnic cleansing of Palestinian people by the Israeli military. The USA should not be funding a theocratic state’s genocide against an indigenous people. However, the USA is currently funding war crimes and the genocide of Palestinian people. This is not only a serious human rights violation but contributes to the climate crises we are currently facing. This is not a matter of religion. It’s a matter of supremacy culture which is being proliferated by the USA and the actions of the Israeli government. The USA should not be contributing aid to the Israeli government/military nor should we be contributing to the propaganda which promotes anti-Arab/anti Palestinian sentiments. It’s wrong, we know better. We’ve seen this behavior before, and it’s disgusting. The laws which restrict boycotting Israeli defense forces are truly disgusting as well. The people do not support this, but our government has been complicit in these atrocities. I will not be voting for any elected officials who support this genocide. Free Palestine. Ceasefire now. Stop funding genocide. (The amount of funding being used for Israeli military aid could completely eradicate hunger in the USA approximately 3 times over. It is ridiculous. We cannot afford to fund this genocide. It needs to stop now)

Israelis supporters often brings up the idea that "Hamas beheads babies," even though this has been refuted numerous times. Palestine gives the whole world evidence to what israel does to the children and peoples homes time after time. When we have people who defend Israel, they never fail to bring up the October 7, 2023 attack. They can only go back to that point. Palestine can go back all the way back to 75 years ago when occupation started. Families are torn from their homes for decades and children are dying. We have the United states funding a genoicde! They let israel send more bombs to Gaza way. A question I have for you is Why is Israel killing children and removing people from their homes if its primary goal was to counter Hamas' attack on Oct 7 2023? I don't know how many times people need to say this but killing children is not self defense... Israel became a country by stealing land and killing people ‼️

FREE PALESTINE

Over 5,000 people in Gaza have been killed since October 7th. Half of Gaza’s population is children- under 18 years old. Funding Israeli airstrikes is funding the massacre of children and over 5,000 innocent civilians. Please stop.

I urge the City of Cleveland to condemn the U.S.-sponsored genocide in Gaza. I also urge Mayor Bibb and Council President Griffin to retract their support for Zionist occupation. Popular opinion dictates that the public will not vote in this upcoming election for politicians who support the genocide in Gaza. Our tax dollars should not support international imperialism and genocide.

On Saturday I had the privilege of marching with hundreds of fellow Cleveland residents. I wish it was under better circumstances that I got to be among those lovely people, but instead we were brought together by a genocide funded by the US and supported by our own city government. I'm not Arab, muslim, or Palestinian. I'm just another white girl that has lived in Cleveland most of my life. But I am so deeply angered and hurt by the events in the news. I'm appalled that this is how my representatives are representing me. How dare you as ellected officials support the illegal occupation and extermination of Palestinian people. And how dare you use your elected power to committ these acts. This is not a representation of me or my city. Anything other than calls for peace and a ceasefire is an abuse of power that the people of this city have allowed you to have. You must condemn the violence and stop the slaughter of the thousands of innocent Palestinian children and civilians. As we chanted on Saturday, the people united cannot be defeated, and the people stand with Palestine even if our government won't.

Cleveland needs to stand beside the people of Gaza as they are facing unfathomable violence funded by US dollars. As a person who frequents Cleveland’s various businesses and places of public interest, I want to see a city I identify with so closely act for good. Humanitarian aid is not reaching survivors in Gaza due to Israel’s ceaseless attacks, and people will continue to die if we stand by. Please hear the people. Also, to make sure my statements are not misconstrued, know that my support of Palestine does not indicate any animosity toward Cleveland’s Jewish community, and I stand against antisemitism. My issues are with the government of Israel and those who fund its military.