Special to 1808Delaware
Delaware City Council, at its Monday, November 13 meeting, unanimously passed a resolution condemning antisemitic violence and harassment targeting Jewish people, and standing in solidarity with those affected by antisemitism.
Resolution No. 23-66 read:
A RESOLUTION UNEQUIVOCALLY CONDEMNING THE RECENT RISE IN ANTISEMITIC VIOLENCE AND HARASSMENT TARGETING JEWISH PEOPLE, AND STANDING IN SOLIDARITY WITH THOSE AFFECTED BY ANTISEMITISM, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.
WHEREAS, Antisemitism remains a serious and growing danger for Jewish people in the United States and around the world; and
WHEREAS, Antisemitic incidents and rhetoric have continued to surge in the United States and around the world; and
WHEREAS, Such antisemitic incidents are part of a broader increase in the number and intensity of antisemitic incidents in the United States and around the world, as evidenced by studies by the Kantor Center for the Study of Contemporary European Jewry, finding that Jewish Americans were the target of 60.2 percent of all religiously motivated hate crimes in 2019, despite accounting for 2 percent of the population of the United States; and
WHEREAS, Holocaust denial and distortion, including intentional efforts to excuse or minimize the impact of the Holocaust, dishonors those who were persecuted and murdered and reinforces the need for advancing accurate Holocaust education globally; and
WHEREAS, Over the course of the past decade, Holocaust distortion has grown in intensity; and
WHEREAS, Protecting the history of the Holocaust and recognizing and confronting Holocaust denial and distortion are critical to preventing antisemitism; and
WHEREAS, Much antisemitism today takes the form of “modern” or “new” antisemitism, in which actual bias against Jewish people is denied while prejudiced attitudes exist and discriminatory statements or acts are engaged in; and
WHEREAS, This form of antisemitism may be more difficult for its perpetrators to identify and challenge, as their beliefs about themselves may be that they are not biased against Jews; and
WHEREAS, Every antisemitic act creates a climate of fear, anxiety and insecurity, both for the individual and the community; as such, Jewish people 91 are exposed to suffering the feelings of vulnerability, anger, depression and other sequelae of victimization; and
WHEREAS, This Council has specifically denounces antisemitism in all its forms.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF DELAWARE, STATE OF OHIO THAT:
SECTION 1. This Council and the City of Delaware unequivocally condemn the recent rise in antisemitic violence and harassment targeting Jewish Americans and stand in solidarity with those affected by antisemitism.
SECTION 2. The community of the City of Delaware is recommitted to combating antisemitism in all forms.
SECTION 3. The City of Delaware community calls on elected officials, faith leaders, and civil society leaders to denounce and combat all manifestations of antisemitism.
SECTION 4. This Council finds and determines that all formal actions of this Council and any of its committees concerning and relating to the passage of this resolution were taken in an open meeting of this Council, and that all deliberations of this Council and any of its committees that resulted in those formal actions were in meetings open to the public, all in compliance with the law including Section 121.22 of the Revised Code.
SECTION 5. That this resolution shall be in force and effect immediately upon its passage.
PASSED: November 13, 2023
YEAS 7 NAYS 0
