JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Action News Jax is pressing a top leader in Jacksonville for answers after he was the only person to vote against a resolution condemning the attack against Israel.
City Council passed the resolution Tuesday night 16-1 with Council President Ron Salem as the only dissenting vote of the measure that was written to show “support of Israel as it defends itself in the war launched by the terrorist organization Hamas.”
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The one no vote came from Salem, who is of Palestinian descent. Others from the Palestinian community came out in opposition.
“Resistance is a human right,” a woman who spoke on the floor opposing the resolution said. “Palestine has the right to exist. If Ukraine does it, they’re freedom fighters but if we do it we’re terrorists? We’re animals?”
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Around the same time as the council vote, there was a peaceful community-wide gathering in Mandarin, where more than 1,000 people came together to show their support for Israel.
Ben Becker: “What’s your level of concern voted against it?”
Mariam Feist: “There are two things, Ben. There’s an opportunity for education.”
Feist is the CEO of the Jewish Federation of Jacksonville and helped organize Tuesday’s event. She was surprised the resolution wasn’t unanimous.
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“The rest of the City Council members stood up and said it doesn’t matter whether you are Jewish, doesn’t matter whether one state, two-state solution, Republican or Democrat,” Feist said. “What’s important is to stand up against terrorism, the fight against Hamas.”
The Israeli death toll has risen to 1,200 after a sneak attack by Palestinian terrorists was carried out on Saturday. At least 22 U.S. citizens were also killed according to the State Department.
Hundreds of women and children were murdered, including women raped in the streets and the heads of babies chopped off, according to Israeli officials.
Israel has launched a massive response, with intense bombing of the Gaza Strip, where the terrorists operate and are supported.
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Becker reached out to Salem for an interview -- Salem’s father was also the first president of the Ramallah American Club of Jacksonville.
Salem said, “I mourn the death of all Jewish and Palestinian people in the conflict.”
Becker then asked, “Which part of the resolution did you vote against, the condemning of terrorism that killed hundreds of women and children or the support of Israel or both?”
But Becker never heard back.
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As for Feist:
“This is a war on terrorism. This attacks all democracy, all freedom, all chances of peace anywhere, and if Israel doesn’t have the right to defend itself and does not have the means to defend itself and civilians. It’s unimaginable what could happen in the rest of the world.”
Feist also said the Federation is in the process of re-launching a Jewish community relations council to build strong partnerships with all elected officials.
Action News Jax asked Mayor Donna Deegan if she will sign the resolution and Deegan said she had not read it. However, later Wednesday night a spokesperson said she will sign the measure.
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