Mayor Justin Bibb won’t be adding his signature to Cleveland City Council’s resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.
The mayor has been a focal point for protests at council meetings and elsewhere. One person who interrupted his recent State of the City speech said Bibb should rescind a statement he issued in support of Israel immediately after Hamas’ attacks on Oct. 7.
In a lengthy statement issued through his press secretary, Bibb said that council’s resolution – which endorsed a United Nations ceasefire statement – didn’t reflect his views.
The statement said the city was “united in horror” on Oct. 7 and that Israel has a right to defend itself, but that “there is no question that civilians have borne tremendous suffering and loss as a result.” The statement argued that “durable peace” isn’t possible until Hamas releases the hostages it took.
“Any discussion of the current conflict must be centered in the condemnation of Hamas and a plain understanding that it is the fundamental obstacle to peace today,” Bibb said.
The Jewish Federation of Cleveland applauded the mayor’s statement, writing in a social media post, “Today @MayorBibb made clear he can’t be bullied into ignoring the fact that Hamas has refused all ceasefire agreements that would stop Israel’s rescue mission to bring the hostages home.”
Bibb’s move dismayed local Palestinian advocates, who have showed up at City Council public comments sessions for months. They released a statement of their own this week that reads in part, “His refusal to sign the ceasefire resolution is a political calculation to avoid accountability.”
Legislatively, there’s no further action needed on the resolution. Bibb did not veto it, which would have sent the measure back to council for reconsideration.
Council’s resolution, which passed without opposition last week, said the legislative body “supports the United Nations Security Council resolution calling for a halt to the fighting in Gaza.”
Read Bibb’s full statement below:
Our city was united in horror at Hamas’s October 7 terrorist attack on Israel, and Israel has a right to defend itself. But at the six-month anniversary of those attacks, there is no question that civilians have borne tremendous suffering and loss as a result.
Cleveland is a diverse community with loved ones in Gaza and Israel both. As the tragedy there has grown, so has Clevelanders’ grief. This is a grief I share, and the need for humanitarian assistance in Gaza is dire. I join the calls for a break in hostilities, for Hamas to unconditionally release the hostages, and for Gazans to receive vital food and supplies.
I chose not to sign Cleveland City Council’s resolution in support of the recent United Nations Security Council resolution. While there is much to commend about the push for peace, neither the UN nor the City Council resolutions adequately reflect my own views.
I fully support the Biden-Harris Administration’s diplomatic efforts to secure an end to the conflict. These are rooted not only in peace but in clarity. No durable peace is possible until Hamas releases the hostages. And Hamas has had multiple opportunities to secure a ceasefire under this framework—which Israel has accepted, and which Hamas has rejected. Any discussion of the current conflict must be centered in the condemnation of Hamas and a plain understanding that it is the fundamental obstacle to peace today.
Let me underscore that my priority as Mayor is to safeguard our residents against bigotry and hate. We must oppose anti-Semitism and Islamophobia at every turn. Cleveland will always be a city for all peoples, and as a Clevelander, I pray for peace here and abroad.