The City of Carbondale is holding a meeting to listen to community members and learn how they feel about the ongoing War in Gaza.
CARBONDALE, Ill. (WSIL) ---The City of Carbondale is holding a meeting to listen to community members and learn how they feel about the ongoing War in Gaza.
The meeting will occur at the Carbondale Library on Tuesday, April 30th, from 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm.
While the war in Gaza is still happening overseas, some people in Carbondale are feeling its effects.
Dean Amely is a Palestinian living in Carbondale. He and others have been protesting since the start of the Israel-Hamas war.
"We want community support from our community, the southern Illinois community, and the mayor personally," Amely said.Ìý
Carbondale has seen months of Pro-Palestinian protests since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in October. Amely says he and others have had hostile experiences while out protesting, making it hard to function in daily lives.
"Now you tell me how my fellow citizen, who is a physician when he hears somebody yelling back, kill all babies and kill all physicians, how do you expect him to go the next morning and do his job?ÌýSaving people day and night in Carbondale orÌýinÌýsouthern Illinois?ÌýOur community isÌýreallyÌýsuffering," Amely said.Ìý
Many people from the Jewish and Islamic communities have gone to the Carbondale city council meetings toÌýhave their voices heardÌýabout the war.ÌýEva Fisher is theÌýCarbondaleÌýPublic Relations officer. She says although the city doesn't have foreign policies,ÌýtheyÌýlistened and wanted to facilitate a community discussion.
"Our hopeÌýhereÌýwith having a meeting of this sort is that people feel seen and heard that we can take the next step together. We are probably not going to be able to come to a perfect solutionÌýhereÌýtogether, but we want to at least take a small actionÌýto where we can at leastÌýhave a conversation," Fisher said.
Susan Pearlman is Jewish. She says she's always feltÌýthe Jewish community was welcomedÌýand was safe here; but she says she has experienced anti-Israel rhetoric.
"I'm not sure this is what the city should be doing, but if there is a discussion, then I think it's important for people to really listen andÌýreallyÌýhear each other," Pearlman says.Ìý"It's a very emotional time. There's a lot of passion and I would hope that there would be rules of civil discourse and whoever is managing the conversation can make sure that everyone does feel safe and comfortable."
Her biggestÌýproblem with the planned community talkÌýisÌýthat itÌýwas scheduledÌýonÌýPassover, a majorÌýJewish holiday.
"I guess no one looked at the Jewish calendar. No one consulted the Jewish community. So I don't thinkÌýsuch a meeting would be scheduledÌýon an important Christian or Muslim holiday," Pearlman said.
Pearlman says the community convention is scheduled on the last day of Passover, andÌýis hoping the city will consider reschedulingÌýthe time.Ìý
Carbondale officials say scheduling was an oversight made by those planning the meeting.ÌýThe calendars they referenced did not show religious holidays.
The city plans to keep the meetingÌýat the same timeÌýdue to complications with scheduling the event.Ìý
However, the city will offer written responses soÌýthat allÌývoices canÌýbe heard.Ìý
