Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin said that any decision on a resolution promoting a cease-fire in Gaza would have to come from the City Council.
He recently said city officials “hear the concerns of our local Aurora community members,” but pointed out that “any action taken at a municipal level is purely symbolic and will not influence global political decisions.”
“The core of politics is local and that is why we focus on the actions that can be taken in Aurora to build authentic bridges of unity,” he said.
Many local residents have spoken during the last two City Council meetings asking the City Council to pass a resolution supporting a cease-fire in Gaza for humanitarian reasons, and to allow more aid to get into the region.
They pointed out that other municipalities in Illinois – including locally Bolingbrook and Villa Park – have passed such resolutions. At the same time, other sizable municipalities, such as Naperville and Evanston, have declined to pass resolutions supporting a cease-fire.
While they might be symbolic, some speakers have said that local and state governments in the past have supported resolutions challenging federal government policies.
Some also have said that it would be important to fight the increase in hate crimes that have happened throughout the country, including locally, since the events in Gaza.
Irvin pointed out that last fall, in response to the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel and the Israeli declaration of war in Gaza, the city brought together local Jewish and Muslim leaders for a public declaration of unity.
“We will continue to work to strengthen the connections through critical conversations and community collaborations, and we should all continue to pray for peace and unity throughout the entire world,” Irvin said.
slord@tribpub.com
