Evanston RoundTable
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By the Rev. Michael Woolf, senior minister of Lake Street Church of Evanston
As the death toll in Gaza reaches 25,000, now is the time to call for a ceasefire in the war between Israel and Gaza. As a spiritual leader, I have been calling for a ceasefire for months, but the death toll and immense human suffering in Gaza has pushed me to renew those calls again. What is happening in Gaza is a humanitarian catastrophe to be sure, but it is also a spiritual one. I cannot in good conscience remain silent in the face of such appalling death and destruction.
In order to support a ceasefire resolution, I have specific criteria I seek. In addition to calling for an immediate ceasefire, the resolution must unequivocally condemn the barbaric attack by Hamas on Oct. 7, call for a release of hostages and prisoners, and condemn Islamophobia and antisemitism at home. The present draft resolution proposed by Evanston citizens does just that. I support its consideration and adoption by the City Council.
What seems painfully obvious to me is that, as a community, we are deeply divided on this issue. That means that we have to provide the ability to talk about this issue in productive ways. I have heard from many members of the Jewish community about how they feel newly unsafe in Evanston since Oct. 7. That cannot be allowed to happen. I have also heard from Palestinians and their allies who have faced vitriol and been targeted, and that is equally distressing to me.
Ceasefire is not a zero sum game. For me, my ceasefire advocacy is intertwined with my commitment to resisting antisemitism and developing compassion. Likewise, many of those who find themselves unable to support the ceasefire resolution are appalled by the death and destruction in Gaza and pray for peace. We must resist the pressure to caricature one another, because we share a community with one another. At the same time, we must not shy away from speaking our conscience when the situation calls for it.
The conversation about ceasefire is happening, but it is not happening in ways that make people feel heard, cared about and safe. It is happening in public comment portions of City Council meetings. We need and deserve leadership at the City Council level, even if that public conversation eventually leads to the city not adopting the ceasefire resolution.
For those looking for a better conversation, the Evanston Interfaith Clergy and Leaders have put together a program from 2 to 4:30 p.m. on Feb. 17 and 18 featuring Jewish scholar David N. Myers and Arab scholar Hussein Ibish. If interested, you can register at this link. You will not find agreement, but you will find people of good faith learning together and striving to have a better conversation. Our city could use more of that, especially in these trying times.
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2 Comments
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The entire world is calling for the slaughtering of innocent women and children to stop while “so called” Evanston political leaders bury their heads in the sand. It’s disgusting and shameful. This paper has even reported on allegations of Mayor Biss, the Evanston City Manager, and City Attorney orchestrating the termination of a Black city employee over his support for a ceasefire. It’s just shameful. I also think that these are things that people will remember when we have an opportunity to vote for new leadership.
Thank you for organizing the event. Long overdue, and it is very unfortunate that our Mayor could not bring himself to call for such an event.
I’m just sorry that community members will be asked to pay to have a “conversation” that is going to be held at a church.
The Evanston RoundTable is the community’s leading source of news about local government, schools, civic and artistic activities, and other important issues facing our city. We seek to foster civic engagement and empower people to address complex issues facing our diverse community, promoting a better understanding and appreciation of people of all races, ethnicities, and income levels.
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