The Yonkers Ceasefire Coalition consisting of Westchester for Palestine, Lower Hudson Valley Democratic Socialists of America, We United, Jewish Voice for Peace Westchester, Concerned Families of Westchester, and WESPAC, rallied at Van der Donck Park and marched to Yonkers City Hall, on Tuesday, April 2nd, to demand that the Yonkers City Council pass a local resolution in support of a permanent ceasefire in Palestine. Dozens of Yonkers constituents, community members, and allies gathered in the rain.
In their statement, the Coalition states, “Over 30,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel and another 70,000 have been injured. Two million Palestinians have been displaced and are facing starvation and bombardment as Israel blocks life-saving aid and plans to invade Rafah – in defiance of the United Nations Security Council, the International Court of Justice, and even the unconditionally pro-Israel Biden Administration. The final resolution must reflect this reality. The Yonkers Ceasefire Coalition proposed a resolution to the Yonkers City Council on Feb 7th. Since then, the Coalition has been trying to meet with all council members to discuss their views and come to an agreement on a resolution that will satisfy both the people and the council majority. Yet the Council has instead proposed a distorted version of the original resolution that appears to minimize the severity of the atrocities to which those living in Gaza and the West Bank are being subjected, claiming that is the best they can get passed. The Coalition has sent another revised draft. They marched to send a message to the council to accept their revised resolution “instead of the council’s zionist resolution.” They demanded, “that the Council consider it and pass an authentic resolution supporting a ceasefire and the right of self-determination of both peoples.”
The statement continues, “After the march on April 2nd, the coalition attended the Yonkers council committee meeting. The council voted yes to list the ceasefire item on the agenda for their next community meeting on April 9th. However, when the coalition approached council President Lakisha Collins-Bellamy, she explained that the resolution that will be put to vote on April 9th is the council’s resolution which the coalition already rejected (hear audio below), and provided revisions on. The coalition, therefore, is calling for Yonkers to flood the city hall on Tuesday, April 9th to demand the council pass an authentic ceasefire resolution, not a “Zionist ceasefire” resolution.”
Below is the list of all resolutions that have been proposed by the Ceasefire Council and the Yonkers City Council body.
- Original Proposed Ceasefire Resolution by the coalition – Feb 7th, 2024
- Peace Resolution Counter Proposed by Yonkers City March 1st, 2024
- Ceasefire Resolution Proposed by Yonkers City Council, March 26. 2024
- Ceasefire Resolution Revision #1 By Ceasefire Coalition, March 28, 2024
- Ceasefire Resolution Revision #2 By Ceasefire Coalition, April 4, 2024
According to the Coalition, it has been almost two months since the Yonkers Ceasefire Coalition, composed of Yonkers constituents, community members, and allies, proposed a ceasefire resolution to the Yonkers City Council. The original resolution proposed was adapted from the one passed in Newburgh. Since then, the Ceasefire Coalition has been trying to meet with all council members to discuss their views on the resolution and to come to an agreement on a resolution that will satisfy both the people of Yonkers and the Council Majority. The City Council, however, has instead proposed a distorted version of the original resolution that appears to minimize the severity of the atrocities to which those living in Gaza and the West Bank are being subjected, and adding City Council recognition of Israel as a “Democratic Jewish state,” claiming that is the best they can get passed. (The demand to recognize Israel as a Jewish State is a demand to Palestinians to accept their status as non-citizens, second-class citizens, and refugees in their own land, with no national rights and no right of return for refugees. The rights of citizenship and the right of return of refugees after the end of hostilities are guaranteed by international law. This clause is completely extraneous to the urgent need for a ceasefire and has never before been included in any of the 100+ ceasefire resolutions passed by towns, cities, and counties around the country. The Coalition attempted to provide the Council with two different versions that they see as more authentic and truthful.
- The first revised version was sent to the council on March 28th, with statistics and objective descriptions of the atrocities in Gaza added. The Yonkers City Council rejected our revised version, claiming it was “not neutral.” The city council president objected to our having added statistics – which we had included
as objective data while deleting emotionally laden and biased language. – Her rationale: that the statistics “are constantly changing and cannot be trusted.” - The second revised version of the resolution was sent to the council on April 4th without the statistics per that objection, yet reformulating the language to be reasonable, fair, and just for both Palestinians and Israelis. Most Yonkers City Council members have yet to respond.
- The Ceasefire Resolution Item is on the agenda for the Yonkers City Hall Community meeting on Tuesday, April 9th. For the first time in two months, constituents will be able to speak on it for two minutes each.
The Yonkers Ceasefire Coalition is a group of local organizations joining forces to pass a ceasefire resolution in Yonkers. The Coalition’s organizations include the Democratic Socialist of America-Lower Hudson Valley (lhDSA), We United, Jewish Voice for Peace, and the Muslim American Society (MAS), all under the umbrella of the Westchester for Palestine coalition.
