Elmhurst Urged To Back Gaza Ceasefire Resolution

ELMHURST, IL – Eighteen people spoke at Monday's Elmhurst City Council meeting to encourage the city to adopt a resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.

Some Chicago suburbs, including Burr Ridge, have backed the measure. Others such as Darien have declined, saying they do not want to weigh in on what they see as national or international issues.

The speakers noted the death toll of more than 35,000 Palestinians in Gaza since Israel launched strikes last fall. That followed Hamas militants killing more than 1,160 people and taking hundreds of hostages in Israel on Oct. 7.

None of the speakers specifically denounced Hamas or noted the Oct. 7 attacks. Resolutions in other towns have condemned Hamas, which has ruled Gaza since 2007.

One of the commenters, Elmhurst resident Syeda Waseem, said the city should project its values of equality and basic human rights.

"Our progressive city can be the catalyst to create a chain reaction amongst other cities to pass a ceasefire resolution," said Waseem, a pharmacist who has lived in town for more than three decades.

Elmhurst resident Simeren Silverstein said Elmhurst is a town that shows its love and support to other humans. She noted Mayor Scott Levin attended a peaceful Black Lives Matter rally in town in 2020 to learn how he could help and show that the city would not tolerate racial violence.

He also attended a Pride rally in 2021 and since then, the city has adopted Pride resolutions, Silverstein said.

"This is the Elmhurst I know and love," she said, adding she was disturbed about the recent swastika vandalism in town. "It's time to take a stand and show we love and support all humans."

Another Elmhurst resident, Ami ElShareif, said she was a Palestinian American with family in Gaza, all of whom have been displaced and are now living in tents.

ElShareif, a lawyer who is the product of Elmhurst's schools, said a Gaza resolution would be a local matter. She said her father, who has lived in town for more than four decades, was the victim of a hate crime.

"He had a swastika graffitied on his car for simply displaying a small Palestinian flag in the window," she said. "Even if you think a resolution won't make a difference, you are wrong."

After an hour of public comment, Mayor Scott Levin said, "It's not our habit to respond directly from the dais, so I'm not sure where it's going to go from here."