For the second meeting in a row, supporters of a cease-fire in Gaza sought Saugerties Town Board approval for a resolution seeking a permanent end to hostilities that have caused major displacement of the population of the Gaza Strip and the death of more than 32,000 Palestinians, a number that is out of date by the time it is published. More than 20 people spoke at the board’s meeting on Wednesday, March 20.
Postcards addressed to the Saugerties Town Board and distributed at a recent showing of Across the Divide — a film featuring interviews with Gazans and some Israelis — state that “municipalities across the country are passing resolutions to call on our federal government to demand a cease-fire, the release of over 100 hostages held by Hamas and over 9,000 political prisoners held by Israel, immediate humanitarian aid for Palestine” and calls on the Saugerties Town Board to pass a resolution.
At the town board meeting, Margery Leopold said that what’s happening now is influencing government policy. “You don’t usually see a grassroots movement come to a town board in a small town and say ‘please try to do something’. Try to send a message to those elected to higher office.”
Former school board trustee Lanny Walter said that “many people are in great pain,” as they observe events in the Gaza Strip, but “as a Jewish person, I feel I may be in a little more pain.” Walter noted that when the Nazis began rounding up Jews, people may have been unaware initially of what was happening. “This is not on that scale, but nobody is hiding it. You can see every night and hear on the radio every morning about more people being killed.” When the board takes action, “you are saying to these younger people [and] to other people in the community that we care.”
Other speakers emphasized the near starvation of the Palestinians in Gaza, the destruction of houses and even hospitals and Israeli actions that have slowed down the delivery of needed food supplies to Rafah, the last refuge of one-and-a-half million Palestinians, according to an Associated Press report.
Susan Rosenberg, a member of Jewish Voices For Peace, was one of several speakers who referred to the “mass starvation’ of the Palestinians in Gaza. “We mourn the death of Israeli citizens on October 7,” she said. “My heart breaks for those families and loved ones. However, over 30,000 Palestinians have been killed, overwhelmingly women and children.” Many others have been seriously wounded, yet “30 out of the 36 hospitals have been bombed, many repeatedly,” she said. “We know that it is our arms, our money and our military support which is allowing this to happen.”
Nina Turner said that “without United States support, this genocide couldn’t proceed … we don’t want our tax dollars to fund this genocide.”
Judith Simon said that while Gaza is about half the size of New York City, “there have been more bombs dropped on Gaza than the U.S. dropped on Germany from 1942 to 1945. I just looked that up and it is so startling that I had to share that with you.”
Supervisor Fred Costello thanked the speakers for their willingness to follow the time limits and their respectful demeanor. However, he said the board does not have a resolution regarding the war on the evening’s agenda.
Protesters said they expect their numbers to grow with each passing town board meeting until the town passes a resolution calling for a cease-fire in Palestine.
According to Reuters news, 70 U.S. cities have passed resolutions regarding the events in Gaza. At least 48 cities have passed resolutions calling for a halt to Israel’s bombardment, while six others called more broadly for peace. At the same time, at least 20 municipalities have passed resolutions condemning Hamas for the October 7 attack that sparked the hostilities.
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