Dayton city commissioners call for a ceasefire of the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas at their city commission meeting on Wednesday.
City commissioners unanimously voted to adopt the informal resolution, “expressing sympathy for the ongoing human conflict in the Middle East and condemning violence of any kind.”
In their statement, commissioners also wrote they “affirm Dayton’s status as a welcoming community for those of the Jewish and Islamic religions and any other religion.”
The statement was prepared after consultation with the members of the Jewish Federation of Greater Dayton and the Islamic Council of Dayton, according to city officials.
“Violence anywhere breaks my heart. And so to see the violence in in the Middle East is heartbreaking,” said City Commissioner Darryl Fairchild.
At the meeting, city commissioners also unanimously adopted a resolution stating intent to become a Human Rights City.
This includes formally adopting policies from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights into city governance.
Policies surrounding housing, immigration, education and criminal justice could also be affected.
Dayton would be the first city in Ohio to have this designation.
“Neither of these would have happened without full participation, full support of my colleagues, full support of you out there,” City Commissioner Matt Joseph said.
