On Tuesday, March 5, Westchester for Palestine, alongside other organizations and residents, attended the Yonkers City Council‘s Rules Committee meeting. During the session, the coalition critiqued the City Council‘s “pseudo solution,” asserting it didn’t align with the mission of their own proposed resolution calling for a ceasefire in the Israel/Palestine conflict.
Westchester for Palestine, a coalition of independent activists and change-makers, aims to raise awareness and promote action and accountability regarding Palestine’s struggle for liberation. Furthering their mission are the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP), We United, Muslim American Society (MAS), Westchester Peace Action Committee (WESPAC) and Yonkers Peace Solidarity.
Additionally, the initiative contends that Council President Lakisha Collins-Bellamy‘s proposed “Peace Resolution” fails to advocate for a ceasefire. The group sees it as “a perverse attempt to pacify [their] vocalized dissatisfaction” with the Council’s neglect.
Expressing dismay, Hadil Sarrar, co-founder of Westchester for Palestine, highlighted the lack of consultation regarding the Peace Resolution. “On March 1st, we found out that President Lakisha has proposed a peace resolution instead of our ceasefire resolution. Without our consultation. They did not officially send it to us. They did not take our input. Nothing,” Sarrar stated.
The organization urges City officials to educate themselves on the full history of the Palestine-Israel conflict and to be deliberate in halting the ongoing genocide in Palestine.
We read the terms of the items, it’s useless. It’s just saying we need peace and that’s nothing. No practical items. There is no showing of any statistics about the atrocity that is happening there. They’re even trying to put, like a kind of symmetry between the struggle.
Silent protest demands reconsideration
To demonstrate their rejection of Collins-Bellamy’s proposal, Sarrar and ten coalition members staged a silent protest, demanding the council recognize and reconsider their ceasefire resolution.
We wanted to go and to say we don’t want the peace resolution that you proposed. What we want is a ceasefire resolution. When [the Council] saw us, they decided to not vote on the peace resolution. They moved it to their following committee meeting, which is going to happen soon.
Despite efforts to engage Yonkers’ Council Members, progress has been slow, with limited responses to their concerns. “It’s difficult to communicate directly with City Council members in Yonkers. They’re not the best at communicating through email or phone. From Jan. 29 until today [March 14], all our work is sending emails, making calls, attending the community meeting, trying to let them know we want this item to be on the agenda so we can further discuss” remarked Sarrar. “Only one was willing to meet with us: Corazón [Pineda-Isaac]. She met with our coalition, and she discussed it, and she said she’s going to be talking to other members internally about it” continued Sarrar. “We haven’t really had any progress since then.”
Challenges in advancing the movement
The coalition faces challenges in advancing the Palestinian movement, given the lack of support from humanitarian organizations in Westchester.
In Westchester, we have a lot of humanitarian organizations, but nothing about Palestine specifically. The city has built their bases and has developed the movement very strongly. We are trying to learn from them and bring the [Free Palestine] movement up. But for us, we have different dynamics in Westchester. So, to work with the community of Westchester is different from working with the city community.
As the organization continues to be excluded from discussions, their determination to achieve social and economic change intensifies.
Lack of communication and collaboration
After the meeting, the coalition engaged Lakisha in a conversation about collaboration, response, and the inclusion they’d like to receive from the Council. Although Collins-Bellamy promised better communication, Sarrar notes this has not been fulfilled, with no specific meeting time provided.
Sarrar expressed disbelief at the Council’s disregard for their input in committee meetings, emphasizing the need for greater transparency and community involvement.
Hadil Sarrar and Westchester for Palestine remain committed to dismantling barriers set against Palestinians and other oppressed groups.
It feels for us that they just really want to avoid us. [The Council doesn’t] want to say ‘no’ because they know that will put them in a really bad position. It’s ridiculous that you cannot speak on anything other than what’s on the agenda. It’s definitely censoring and limiting speech and the voice of the community.
