(WBBM NEWSRADIO) – Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson on Wednesday became the tie-breaking vote endorsing a City Council resolution that calls for a cease-fire in Gaza.
The vote on the divisive measure came after an emotional afternoon of debate, which reflects the larger polarization in the U.S. about the Israel-Hamas war.
Ald. Samantha Nugent, 39th, was among the 23 “no” votes. She read a statement stressing that opposing the resolution was not synonymous with supporting violence.
“We need to address the violence here in Chicago, where we actually have jurisdiction,” she said.
Her 45th Ward colleague, Jim Gardiner, was among the 23 alders who voted “yes” on the measure. He noted that the scope of death in Gaza – an estimated 25,000 killed -- is staggering when compared to the population size of each alderperson’s ward, 55,000 people.
“Could you imagine half of your ward when you go back to your ward to be dead?” Gardiner said.
The conclusion of the council’s vote drew mixed reactions from a variety of quarters.
"This resolution undermines the position of the Biden Administration, the International Court of Justice, and the European Union and the overwhelming majority of Americans who understand that the release of all the hostages held in Gaza and dismantling Hamas' terrorist infrastructure are preconditions to any ceasefire,” the Israeli Consulate in Chicago said in a prepared statement.
“While this resolution will have no impact in the Middle East, it will create more division among communities in Chicago and inspire more antisemitism, as we saw on the floor and in the galleries of City Hall today.”
“This call for a ceasefire illustrates our collective reverence for the sanctity of human life,” countered a statement from the Chicago United Solidarity Project, part of a coalition that fought to pass the ceasefire resolution. “As the largest city to pass a ceasefire resolution, we hope that this inspires the rest of the country to follow suit and stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people and to urge our government to move beyond the symbolic and to stop the genocide.”
Israel has been at war with Hamas in Gaza since Hamas militants invaded southern Israel Oct. 7, and attack in which they killed more than 1,000 civilians and took about 250 hostages. Israeli officials deny claims their military is indiscriminately targeting civilians as it tries to wipe out Hamas. Other nations, including the U.S., have urged Israel to use greater caution.
This is a developing story.