Organizers and Pro-Palestinian supporters in Middletown, NY have been showing up at 7 consecutive Common Council meetings over the past months, advocating for local representatives to pass a comprehensive ceasefire resolution that calls for the protection of both Palestinian and Israeli lives. Neighboring municipalities including Newburgh, Beacon and Kingston have passed such resolutions. albeit with reluctance and a large amount of pushing from residents.

In October, Middletown’s Common Council passed a resolution calling for “global peace” and a release of all hostages as reported by MidHudson News, but that resolution failed to mention a ceasefire in Palestine, which has now spread to Lebanon. It also lacked mention of an arms embargo of Israel to prevent them from bombing Palestine, Lebanon, and future nations Israel targets. The resolution did not a call for humanitarian aid to be allowed into Palestine instead of being blocked by Israel.

Mayor Joseph DeStefano’s Dismissal of Global Facts

“Why are they targeting Middletown with this message organized by the Democratic Socialists of America and then coming here and lying about it? And that’s where you lose credibility in your argument.”

— Middletown Mayor Joseph DeStefano

Middletown leadership is defiant, and now disputing facts about the genocide recognized by the international community. Middletown’s Mayor Joseph DeStefano said this several meetings ago in September 2024 in response to the demands by some Middletown residents for a more comprehensive ceasefire resolution: “Why are they targeting Middletown with this message organized by the Democratic Socialists of America and then coming here and lying about it? And that’s where you lose credibility in your argument,” he said. “You are asking us to accept what you are saying about the Gaza war and the facts as you see them are the facts that nobody else can dispute. Well, people are disputing those facts, and I don’t know which side is correct on certain facts that you present.”

“You are asking us to accept what you are saying about the Gaza war and the facts as you see them are the facts that nobody else can dispute. Well, people are disputing those facts, and I don’t know which side is correct on certain facts that you present.”

— Middletown Mayor Joseph DeStefano

It is not clear who the Democratic Socialists of America are in this case, or if they have a newsletter, or other method of organizing. It is unconfirmed if Mayor DeStefano has asked participants at these meetings if they are affiliated with that group, and even if they were, what that significance it has to the genocide on Palestinians, now creeping to Lebanon.

Mayor DeStefano may not be aware of the international community’s view of the ongoing genocide on Palestinian people funded by the taxes of the people of the United States and carried out by Israel. As reported by Now In Palestine (NIP), in one year, the ICJ called Israel an occupying apartheid state; the UN concluded that Israel is committing a genocide; and the International Criminal Court (ICC) has now issued arrest warrants for at least 2 of Israel’s leaders.

Francesca Albanese, Special Rapporteur of the United Nations (UN) on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian Territory occupied since 1967 has published a widely read report for the UN called “Genocide as colonial erasure,” released on October 1, 2024. However, numerous other reports were published calling attention to the atrocities Israel has been committing, and committing with impunity. The ICC applied for arrest warrants for Israeli leadership in May 2024.

“We cannot look away. Recognition of what is taking place makes it incumbent on us all to take whatever action we can. My relatives in Israel plead with me, please, we are all suffering from Israel’s siege. As Jews we feel this obligation most acutely. Please be aware that Zionism is a political ideology, it does not represent Judaism and Jewish values.”

— Carol Strauss Sotiropoulos

The report summarizes as: “In the present report, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, Francesca Albanese, examines the unfolding horrors in the occupied Palestinian territory. While the wholesale destruction of Gaza continues unabated, other parts of the land have not been spared. The violence that Israel has unleashed against the Palestinians post-7 October is not happening in a vacuum, but is part of a long-term intentional, systematic, State-organized forced displacement and replacement of the Palestinians. This trajectory risks causing irreparable prejudice to the very existence of the Palestinian people in Palestine. Member States must intervene now to prevent new atrocities that will further scar human history.”

People in the state of New York, specifically Middletown, are intervening at every level they have access to, including the micro-local level. The least Mayor DeStefano and other local leaders could do is have the courtesy to acknowledge the findings of the international community, instead of ignore the reality on the ground, as the Biden administration in the United States has done.

Genocide Denial, Defiance, and Chilling Behavior By Pro-Genocide Residents

However, some citizens are are responding with chilling nonchalance to emotional appeals for the U.S. funded bombing to stop.

A video went viral of a woman slowly waving an Israeli flag back and forth while a 13 year old girl wept at the Middletown Common Council podium, telling the public about her family in Palestine. “A 13-year-old Palestinian child shares her emotional testimony on Tuesday evening in Middletown, NY while zionist in attendance disturbingly waves Israeli flag,” Rally Middletown reported.

The post garnered many comments, including ALBB’s, which said: “The slow waving back and forth of that Israeli flag by that woman while the child weeps through her words, grieving for her Palestinian family, waiting for it to end. The icy cool nonchalance of that woman. Wow.”

A report from the UN has stated the massive destruction created by Israel is “consistent with the characteristics of genocide” with Israel’s destruction of water systems, agriculture, sanitation systems, and the production of toxic pollution with the dropping of “25,000 tonnes of explosives - equivalent to two nuclear bombs - by early 2024,” the report found.

For others who doubt the validity of demanding a ceasefire and arms embargo, Al Jazeera Plus collected testimony from White House staffers who resigned over the Gaza genocide. Anna Del Castillo worked in the White House as the Deputy Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility. Take a listen to what she has to say in the video below. See a broader list of White House resignations of over the genocide here.

International Criminal Court (ICC) Issues Arrest Warrants For Israeli Leaders

The Thursday 11/21/2024 after the public’s repeated attempt for the Middletown Common Council to use its voice, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Israeli Minister Benjamin Netenyahu and his former Defense Secretary Yoav Gallant. The ICC also issued arrest warrants "for Mohammed Deif, one of the leaders of Hamas, over the October 2023 attacks that triggered Israel’s offensive in Gaza. The ICC chief prosecutor withdrew his request for warrants for two other senior Hamas figures, Yahya Sinwar and Ismail Haniyeh, after they were both killed in the conflict.” Israel claims to have killed the Hamas leaders.

One of the prosecutors seeking arrest warrants for the Israeli leaders, Theodor Meron, is a 94-year-old Holocaust survivor, jurist, and former Israeli diplomat. Read more about him and his decision to pursue these arrest warrants at Foreign Policy.

From the Rally Middletown Organizers:

Rally Middletown sent out a press release about the latest meeting. It has been published below in full:

For the seventh consecutive Common Council meeting, community members gathered at Middletown City Hall, urging local representatives to pass a strong ceasefire resolution.

Building on the momentum of the previous meeting, the community showed unwavering support, with a strong turnout of over two dozen individuals and a robust public comment session that lasted over an hour, underscoring the community's enduring dedication to the cause.

One advocate who spoke, Carol Strauss Sotiropoulos, stated, “We cannot look away. Recognition of what is taking place makes it incumbent on us all to take whatever action we can. My relatives in Israel plead with me, please, we are all suffering from Israel's siege. As Jews we feel this obligation most acutely. Please be aware that Zionism is a political ideology, it does not represent Judaism and Jewish values.”

While one council member stated they had already heard their constituents by passing a recent resolution, participants were quick to correct the fact that the resolution that passed did not include any verbiage for a ceasefire or arms embargo to protect Palestinian and Israeli lives.

Alderman Jerry Kleiner stated, “We passed a resolution supporting global peace in the world and asking for the unconditional release of all the hostages, but that’s not going to happen without a ceasefire.”

While city residents were disappointed that more council members didn’t vocalize their support, participants left motivated knowing that there is still a window to pass a stronger resolution.

Following the meeting, advocate and organizer Amanda Krump stated, “President Biden recently threatened to impose an arms embargo on Israel if they did not ensure humanitarian aid to enter Gaza within thirty days. Despite multiple human rights organizations confirming Israel hasn’t followed through with this request, the U.S. has still yet to act. We need to continue to pressure our government at every level.”

Middletown residents will continue to rally people in the city to show up to the upcoming meetings until a strong ceasefire resolution is passed. With the increased momentum of recent meetings, community members are confident a resolution will pass.

“I have never felt more resolute about the efforts we have taken to unify our city around a ceasefire to protect both Palestinian and Israeli lives,” said organizer, Jason Nietzschmann. “If those in positions of power refuse to act based on their own moral compass, we must persist in our efforts to persuade them to act in accordance with our shared values of justice and equality.”

Although the timeline for passing a strong resolution remains uncertain, one constant is clear: Middletown residents are unwavering in their commitment and will persist in making their voices heard.

Common Council Meetings are every other Tuesday. Contact Rally Middletown for media requests.