COVINGTON, Ky. – A Covington man of Palestinian descent is calling on his city government to pass a resolution to support a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
The resolution was met with support and some pushback among residents at a city commission meeting earlier this week.
“I can’t really explain it to you unless you’re in my shoes, or unless you’re in our shoes,” said Mohammad Ahmad, whose parents are both from Palestine. “We’re going through a lot of pain right now.”
While he’s never been there, it’s where many of his family members live and where one of them recently died.
“My second cousin, four months ago, was killed by Israeli settlers,” he said. “A simple working man with a wife and three kids driving home from his factory job in Palestine, shot and gunned down in front of a settlement. When it really hits you at home, when it really impacts you, it makes you angry. It makes you outraged. It lights a flame inside of you.”
Now Ahmad is calling for Covington city commissioners to pass a resolution supporting a ceasefire in Gaza.
“The resolution would focus on ensuring that Palestinians have a better way of living, that they are not being subjected to bombardment and carpet bombing and collective punishment, and that both sides can work toward a real sustained peace process,” he said.
Ahmad was joined by several supporters when he spoke to the city commission for the second time on Tuesday about his revised resolution.
A local attorney, Rob Craig, had some questions.
“I have to ask, first of all, that the city deeply consider whether it’s appropriate to take up this proclamation right now,” he said. “I know what you have to do to put it on the agenda, and I just don’t think that it’s appropriate for the city to be taking a position on this, but if you do choose to, if you choose that you want to start weighing in on international issues like this, this proclamation is entirely one sided, and it would need to be substantially reworked.”
Craig said Israel has a right to protect itself, which was met with boos from supporters of Ahmad’s resolution.
“No, we treat everybody with respect here,” Mayor Joseph Meyer told the crowd. “Everybody listened, and we’re not going to have a reaction.”
Ahmad said Palestinian, Muslim and Jewish communities in Kentucky have all been affected by the violence. He said Covington’s endorsement could give momentum to other local, state and even federal resolutions to end the violence.
“One Palestinian is too many. One Israeli is too many,” he said. “This should be easy because this is simply acknowledging the plight and suffering of people.”
More than 16,000 Palestinians have been killed and more than 42,000 wounded since the war started, according the Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza.
Even though he and his family are going through pain, he said they’re also determined to stay strong.
Commissioners did not discuss the resolution on Tuesday. They will meet again Tuesday.