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Alachua County Commission defers Gaza ceasefire resolution, asking groups to work together on a resolution that represents a broader perspective

Alachua County Commission Chair Mary Alford wears a “Ceasefire” shirt to the January 9 meeting

BY JENNIFER CABRERA

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – At today’s Alachua County Commission Regular Meeting, the board voted 4-0, with Commissioner Chuck Chestnut absent, to ask groups to come back with a more balanced ceasefire resolution for Israel and Hamas.

The “Resolution calling for a ceasefire amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war in Gaza” can be found here and focuses on the suffering of Gazans due to the war. It urges the Biden administration to “continue working to facilitate… an immediate, permanent, ceasefire” and “ensure the provision of humanitarian aid… for people in Israel and Gaza.”

Three people spoke in favor of the resolution during General Public Comment, and the board took up the agenda item immediately after General Public Comment. Chair Mary Alford asked for a motion, and Commissioner Anna Prizzia moved approval of the resolution; Commissioner Ken Cornell seconded the motion “for discussion,” adding that he had “a lot to say.”

During public comment on the motion, ten people spoke in favor of the resolution, and one person, Rabbi Berl Goldman, spoke against it.

“While I never condone terrorism and I do not believe that we should support the actions of terrorists, we are now facing a situation where the rapid deterioration of the situation has created the targeting not just of those terrorists but of civilians, massive amounts of civilians, and Israelis and Palestinians alike are dying in massive numbers. And we have a moral obligation to do something about it.” – Commissioner Anna Prizzia

Rabbi Goldman said it was “clear how biased the resolution is, the way it’s written,” and following public comment, Prizzia said, “I don’t think there is anything biased or controversial about this resolution” and read it out loud, pausing after each “Whereas” statement to say the statements were “facts that are being stated about the situation in Gaza… And anyone in public office has the responsibility to use the platform provided by their office to advocate for measures that will result in the least amount of death and violence… While I never condone terrorism and I do not believe that we should support the actions of terrorists, we are now facing a situation where the rapid deterioration of the situation has created the targeting not just of those terrorists but of civilians, massive amounts of civilians, and Israelis and Palestinians alike are dying in massive numbers. And we have a moral obligation to do something about it.”

“In this community, we will have division if we do this.” – Commissioner Marihelen Wheeler

Commissioner Marihelen Wheeler said she was “really, really impressed by the number of people that signed on to support this from our community.” She asked whether any other local governments in Florida had approved a similar resolution, and the answer was that no other governments in Florida have done that (the Gainesville City Commission sent a letter supporting a ceasefire in November but did not approve the resolution). Wheeler said her son’s father and his family are Jews who immigrated from Russia and asked, “Where on your radar does Ukraine stand?… When you all shake your heads at me, this is how I know that in this community, we will have division if we do this.”

Wheeler said that when “the Ukrainian community asked to speak with the [former] mayor here about the possibility of breaking ties with the Sister City in Russia,… it was met with denial. And when that same Ukrainian family and group came together and said, ‘Well, if you’re not willing to break ties with this Russian Sister City over [the war in Ukraine], would you at least sponsor some children from Ukraine who have been damaged in this war?’ And of course, that was met with refusal, too.”

Wheeler referred to Rabbi Goldman’s letter to the county commission and asked the audience, “Does this resolution address the return of hostages?” When people yelled back from the audience, she said, “This is the part right here that makes me say, ‘No, I’m not going to support this.’ Because this is what’s going to happen in our community.”

Read Rabbi Goldman’s letter here.

Alford asked Wheeler not to “solicit responses” from the audience, and Wheeler apologized and said, “It bothers me, too, that in a county in a state that is populated by a large population of Jews, that this is the only community that is considering this resolution… Now, I am all about a ceasefire, but I’d like to see one in Ukraine, too.”

Prizzia: Wheeler “rewarded bad behavior” in meat processing facility discussion but won’t vote in favor of people “peacefully commenting on a ceasefire”

Prizzia said it was unfair to “[pit] one war or one issue against another issue.” She said that Wheeler previously “rewarded bad behavior against this commission multiple times, including during the meat processing facility, where a bunch of bullies got up and yelled and [made] obnoxious statements and were rude and disingenuous to us and brought forward really ridiculous situations, and you rewarded them with your vote. And now you’re telling these people who have been peacefully commenting on a ceasefire that their behavior is something that is making you make a decision… I just want to bring that up because it’s very visceral for me right now to say that, when I’ve watched that situation happen in reverse on this dais at least twice in the past year.”

Wheeler said that was an example of the type of division that the resolution is causing. 

Commissioner Anna Prizzia warns audience members to stop making comments during board discussion

People in the audience continued to make comments, and Prizzia warned them that “our board chair has been really magnanimous with you all. Normally, you would already be out of the room.” Turning to Wheeler, she said, “This is not about my view versus your view. I’m just trying to point out a discrepancy in the commentary that you’re giving, and it’s frustrating to me, as an individual.”

“I’m really wondering why [this has not been passed in other communities in Florida] and why it should be coming from our community, even though I know we are the blue target here, we are the ones who are the most liberal here in North Florida, anyway.” – Commissioner Marihelen Wheeler

Wheeler responded, “All I mean is this kind of impatient response to each other, or challenge to each other, is what I’m hoping not to see in our community, that’s all, and because it’s not happened in other communities, I’m really wondering why it has not and why it should be coming from our community, even though I know we are the blue target here, we are the ones who are the most liberal here in North Florida, anyway.”

Prizzia retorted, “I get it. You don’t like conflict.” Wheeler said, “Oh, I like conflict just fine,” and Alford intervened, “Okay, let’s continue to move forward.”

Commissioner Ken Cornell thanked everyone for being there and said he felt that “this is really not a County Commission issue… We weren’t elected to do this.” However, he said he was “open to the idea” because of the “local support and local energy.”

“I would like for the local Jewish community and the local Palestinian community to jointly support something that this board could recommend… I do think that our community is capable of putting words on paper that both sides locally could support.” – Commissioner Ken Cornell

Cornell continued, “I am obviously in favor of ending war, I am anti-war, I am against the military industrial complex, I am so against the atrocities of the actions that initiated this war.” He said, however, that he agreed with Wheeler about the potential for division in the community, “and that is my sole concern right now… The second sentence of Rabbi Goldman’s letter, though, is what causes me the greatest concern, and I’ll read it: ‘The ceasefire resolution does not represent the views of the vast majority of the Jewish community. We cannot support it.’ Now, that is a very strong sentence for me because I would like for the local Jewish community and the local Palestinian community to jointly support something that this board could recommend… I do think that our community is capable of putting words on paper that both sides locally could support.”

Cornell’s substitute motion

Cornell proposed a substitute motion to “defer, not reject, not accept–that we defer this resolution and instead ask for the community groups working on these efforts to work directly with the Jewish community and the local synagogues and rabbis to come up with a resolution that all parties can agree on and support and then bring this resolution back to this Board of County Commission for consideration. That could happen on our next meeting or as soon as it’s ready.” Wheeler seconded the motion.

Alford asked Cornell to add the Palestinian population as a group that must be consulted as part of the motion, and Cornell said he “presumed that the Palestinian community was the organization” working on the effort, but he was fine with adding that. Alford said the group in the commission chambers represented “a variety of folks… And so I think it would be disingenuous to say that this was a Palestinian organization.”

“I don’t see the language in this resolution as being anti-Israeli at all. I don’t see it as being particularly biased.” – Chair Mary Alford

Alford said she was wearing a shirt that said “Ceasefire” because “Violence begets violence.” She said she wanted to see violence eliminated everywhere, “but I believe that this is a start” and that “we have led the state on so many occasions… I feel like the division that you’re concerned about in the community is already there.” She said she would support the substitute motion “because I appreciate the fact that you’re still working towards the resolution” but “I do feel like you’re asking a lot, considering where we are right now… I don’t see the language in this resolution as being anti-Israeli at all. I don’t see it as being particularly biased.”

“It would be relatively easy to craft a ‘Whereas’ that acknowledges the hostages and the act of terrorism that started the war and also recognize that, as a result, Israel has made what I consider, what many consider to be poor decisions in terms of how to approach the addressing of it and using bombing and war tactics rather than peaceful resolution to solve this crisis.” – Commissioner Anna Prizzia

Prizzia asked Rabbi Goldman what’s “critical in the language… It would be relatively easy to craft a ‘Whereas’ that acknowledges the hostages and the act of terrorism that started the war and also recognize that, as a result, Israel has made what I consider, what many consider to be poor decisions in terms of how to approach the addressing of it and using bombing and war tactics rather than peaceful resolution to solve this crisis.”

Alford asked the Rabbi to come forward and answer the question, and he said, “If the commission feels that a resolution calling on a ceasefire is crucial, the language, as introduced right now, is missing at least two or three crucial declarations as well. And some of that is in my letter, and I would encourage the commission to include broader discussion from the majority of the Jewish and general community of Alachua County.”

“If we’re going to weigh in on something that we weren’t elected to weigh in on, then if we could have the entire community supporting it, it would be infinitely more powerful.” – Commissioner Ken Cornell

Alford asked if Cornell was taking on the task of crafting a new resolution, and Cornell said he was calling for “the Rabbi and what he would view as interested members to meet with the group that presented the resolution to us and come up with some maybe additions to some ‘Whereas’ [statements with] wording agreeable to both sides… If we’re going to weigh in on something that we weren’t elected to weigh in on, then if we could have the entire community supporting it, it would be infinitely more powerful.”

Wheeler asked for clarification on which organization had written the resolution, and the answer from the audience was that it was Jewish Voice for Peace, which describes itself as “the largest progressive Jewish anti-Zionist organization in the world.” Cornell said County staff had made modifications to the resolution before bringing it to the board.

“If we can pull it off, we’re definitely a strong example to our Israeli and Palestinian counterparts in Israel, that peace is possible.” – Commissioner Anna Prizzia

Prizzia said, “If we can pull it off, we’re definitely a strong example to our Israeli and Palestinian counterparts in Israel, that peace is possible… I think it’s a difficult thing to ask for a community group that is self-organized and is trying to push for peace, to facilitate a community-wide dialogue about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.”

“The only thing that gives me pause about your motion is that I do believe in separation of church and state, and my support of this resolution was from a humanitarian point of view. And the fact that we’re going back and asking a specific religious and cultural group to come back,… it just gives me pause.” – Chair Mary Alford

Alford said, “The only thing that gives me pause about your motion is that I do believe in separation of church and state, and my support of this resolution was from a humanitarian point of view. And the fact that we’re going back and asking a specific religious and cultural group to come back,… it just gives me pause” However, she also saw the “value of asking the community to work together.” She pointed out that with Chestnut absent, a 2-2 vote would fail, “so it’s either going with a compromise or complete failure.”

Cornell’s motion passed 4-0, with Chestnut absent.

After the vote, Alford thanked everyone for “being willing to talk about these hard things.”

  • Good Grief. How about calling for a cease fire in Alachua County. We have our own local terror thugs running around shooting and killing people like its going out of style. Maybe this coming Holiday weekend we can have no shots fired, nobody shot, nobody killed. I won’t hold my breath. If you can’t control the violence within our county why in the hell would terrorists 1000s of mile away listen to a bunch of baboons who think they can pose as world leaders.

  • How Bizzare, How Bizzare.Clueless, Feckless, Idiots at the helm, destroying Alachua County.

  • WHAT does the situation in Gaza have to do with Alachua County ?
    This is a horrible waste of time. If they want to discuss this stuff as elected leaders then run for Congress.
    Otherwise how about tackling the issues that they were elected to try and solve here in Alachua County ?

    • They think they are so urbane and sophisticated that it hurts. But they are just small town yokels, painfully so.

  • Hahahahahahahaha “At today’s Alachua County Commission Regular Meeting, the board voted 4-0, with Commissioner Chuck Chestnut absent, to ask groups to come back with a more balanced ceasefire resolution for Israel and Hamas.”
    These people are so FULL of themselves!

  • I truly hope the voters in the city of Gainesville realize what kind of damn idiots. They have voted into office, and they can’t control violence in the city of Gainesville how in the hell can they control another country as what they do and don’t do voters wake up, it’s time to replace these clowns.

  • Thoughts and prayers.

    This is not going to stop until the people of Gaza stop hating Israel as much as they love their children.

    • To borrow a quote from one of Nicolas Cage’s movies…”My first thought would be…a lot.”

  • I guess the roads have been fixed and now we can move on to international maters?

    • This is the County, not GNV. They are not responsible for the ‘city slackers’.

  • Why do local pols have to tolerate extreme leftists in every Dem city and county? It’s always the same activists, they just change masks with trendy news. And they’re always wrong.
    Let both Zionists and Islamists fight for their deaths, even if it takes another 100 years. Extremists run their pols too. Let it play out.

  • Maybe just shut up. Hardly competent to weigh in on county matters let alone the world at war.

    From a group who likely can’t spell Gaza or find it on a map.

  • Now, now children…Once again lily Prizzia’s hypocrisy and true colors come out.
    I rarely agree with anything Wheeler has to say but in this case she’s right. It would cause more division within the community but maybe that’s Prizzia’s goal, to cause more division. Many of us know that’s what progressive liberals want for this country and what better place to start than from within a central, local community.
    Famous figure from our past once said, “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” That’s what progressive liberalism seeks – to tear us apart from within. Then again, there’s some far right types who seek the same thing.

  • Gainesville is so perfect that they need to be involved in international matters! This clown shown looks like a skit from Saturday night live!

  • In other words, our supposed representatives wasted a whole meeting on something that has NOTHING to do with running Alachua County. It’s not like they have no other things needing attention. And they had a total of three people interested in their ‘resolution’?

  • Among the many sad parts to this is that we are paying for this to occur. In no way should we be in the business of fighting another Vietnam, much less spending taxpayer money to pontificate on a cease fire no one in the western hemisphere has any control over. Pure virtue signaling at its worst. I see the county has long since drank the city’s kool-aid. How disappointing.

  • They need to mind their own biz and focus on our local problems…that’s what they were elected to do. Essential Services!

  • After the vote, Alford thanked everyone for “being willing to talk about these hard things.”–and wasting everyone’s time and the taxpayers money in producing this clown show (altho the brief girls-in-the-cafeteria cat fight between Prizzia and Wheeler sounded entertaining if unedifying).

  • If they can’t stop the vagrants & panhandlers here, what makes them think their resolution will do anything in Israel? They are out of their jurisdiction and should be limited to items within the Alachua county line.
    You like them paper straws foisted on us to stop the plastic straws from going into a turtles nose from Chinese pollution on the other side of the world? How’s that working out? It’s BS.

    • Paper straws that many businesses don’t even use anymore. Plastic is back baby!!

      Shhhhhhh… don’t want the gestapo to go around writing tickets since masks are gone.

  • The wise statesmen (persons/) of Alachua County…why-o-why do they believe this is a good use of the People’s time? What a crock. These wise statesmen need to secure a cease fire in their own tiny corner of the planet.

  • Next up… the Alachua County Commission drafts a resolution to be sent to the Sun telling it not to heat the Earth so much.

  • Thank you AC for providing the link in the article of the organization that sent in the resolution.

  • Many (many) people in this community need to get a JOB. They have too much free time on their hands.

    I mean, who sits around and comes up with this bull-dung??

  • So…why do our liberal leaders think they’ve been elected for the international political stage’? Stay in your lane and FIX THE DAMN ROADS!!!! F’ this nonsense!

  • Why are they wasting time on this? To emulate other cities across the country who are also wasting time on this? You can support a ceasefire and condemn the war on your own time. Focus on your own city.

    • The ones taking action on this all probably got the same canned letter from that organization. Organizations send those out with a wide net to see who gets snared imo.

  • I don’t support having county commissioners devote our resources to discussions like. A resolution in Alachua County would affect exactly nothing in the Middle East.

  • Mind boggling. The PURE NARCISSISM on full display is absolutely mind boggling. These people are so full of themselves that they ACTUALLY think they are representing their constituents by drafting these resolutions. There’s not one single person in Israel or Gaza that gives a rat’s patooty about what our commissioners think. It’s just mind boggling how much these people waste our money.

  • There are wars and hatred everywhere. Why not just pass a Resolution for Peace on Earth.

  • Calling for a ceasefire by Israel – there is no Palestinian Gaza government not in hiding – while the perpetrators of the Oct 7 horrors remain alive and ready to resume leadership in Gaza as well as further terrorism – they have not renounced it – is asking for Israel to surrender. Aim that resolution at Hamas and Gaza Palestinians – surrender, come out of hiding to be arrested, and Palestinians turn them in – and there will be a real ceasefire.

    Netanyahu is a jerk who helped build up Hamas as a counterpoint to the Palestinian Authority and fundamentalist Jews on the West Bank freely murder Palestinians there, so no good guys in charge unfortunately, but Hamas must be eradicated or weakened for their to be any progress and then hopefully new elected leadership takes over in Israel.

    Alachua County should make this their ceasefire request – fat chance – or leave it alone.

  • The very savvy Commission put it back on the two sides to devise a resolution that would not drive a wedge in the community. It was politically deft and proper.

  • Absurd it even came up for a discussion not to mention a vote !!??
    Wasting Tax payer time & money as usual. “Blue” for you !

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