A group of community members is asking the Bellefonte Borough Council to draft a resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. Around 30 people filled the meeting room on Monday.
Some carried signs reading “Resolution: A Statement of Our Morality” or “Please Save the Children of Gaza.”
“For me, this is an issue that’s an international issue, it's a national issue, it's a state issue, it's a local issue, because over $3 billion annually of U.S. tax dollars go to Israel, primarily for their military. That's money that could be spent here," said John Holst. He is a Bellefonte resident and an associate education professor at Penn State.
The group is made up of Centre County residents, with some living in Bellefonte.
A representative of the Student Committee for Defense and Solidarity, which is mostly made up of Penn State students, spoke at the meeting. He did not want to be named out of fear of retaliation.
“The borough, of course, cannot stop shipping weapons to Israel. That's not possible. But what the borough can do is apply pressure," the representative said.
Members of the group said they will continue to speak at council meetings and directly reach out to Bellefonte council members until they formally discuss a ceasefire in Gaza.
Following nearly an hour of public comment from 11 people, a council member said they will take those comments under consideration for future discussion.
Neighboring State College passed its own resolution in December. Several community members at those meetings spoke in support of Israel and questioned the borough’s involvement with international affairs.
