Members of Cobb County’s Muslim and Palestinian communities spoke out against a proposed resolution before the Cobb Board of Commissioners Tuesday to condemn attacks on Israeli citizens by Hamas.
The day after commissioners agreed to drop the resolution—sponsored by East Cobb District 3 member JoAnn Birrell—they formally voted to reject it in order to collect more community input.
During a regular meeting public comment session Tuesday night, several citizens spoke out strongly against Birrell’s motion, which calls for “unwavering support” of Israel following Hamas attacks on Oct. 7 that killed more than 1,400 Israeli citizens and in which others were taken hostage.
Ghada Elnajjar, the daughter of Palestinian refugees whose family has lived in Georgia for 37 years, told commissioners she’s lost members of her extended family, “too many to count,” in Israel’s immediate response.
“You see Israel as a friend and an ally. I get it,” she said, getting emotional. “As a good friend, it is your responsibility to tell them they are wrong.”
Elnajjar said more than 6,000 Palestinians have been killed, nearly half of them children.
“A resolution declaring unwavering support of Israel is essentially saying you support the killing of innocent Palestinian civilians, like my cousin.”
She held up a photo of a young man she said was killed in Israeli reprisals in Gaza. “He had dreams and he had aspirations. They were cut short.”
Elnajjar said a revised resolution must mention the Palestinian people “by name” and must call for a cease-fire and restoration of water and electricity to Gaza, as well as acknowledging “the pain and suffering of my community,” in Cobb County, Georgia, and the U.S.
After the initial group of speakers, Cobb Commission Chairwoman Lisa Cupid said that her office had received many more e-mails after a Monday work session at which the resolution was first discussed.
She and Commissioner Keli Gambrill said that a revised statement be brought back to reflect the views of the broader Cobb community.
“We have a lot to learn by listening to each other,” Cupid said, adding that she’s having a meeting this week with local religious leaders.
Birrell repeated her stance from Monday, saying her resolution was meant only to denounce Hamas and was recommended to her by “several individuals who said that “we should make a stand.
“It makes no derogatory mention of any Palestinians,” Birrell said, “except Hamas, which is a terrorist group.”
She said she has ancestors from Lebanon, and “I’m supporting Israel against the attacks by Hamas.”
Birrell agreed to work to revise the resolution after hearing from her colleagues.
Commissioner Monique Sheffield said that “I want to be mindful of the entire community because that’s who we serve.”
Commissioner Jerica Richardson of District 2 in East Cobb said she wants a 5-0 vote on any resolution.
“There’s no equivocation on my part in denouncing Hamas,” she said. “They’re a U.S.-declared terrorist group and that needs to be made clear.”
While the acts against Israeli citizens “were heinous,” Richardson said “there are complexities” and the resolution needs to reflect the entire community.
She said later that she’s received “hundreds of letters from multiple perspectives” on how to proceed, and that it’s important for the measure to come up at the commission’s next meeting Nov. 14.
After the vote, more speakers during public comment implored the board against what they said was a one-sided resolution.
That would “undermine the Palestinian people,” Zakir Said said, adding that Hamas’ “horrific action deserves condemnation.” But retaliatory measures “have been unprecedented. No two wrongs make it right.”
Richardson and Birrell offered extended remarks at the end of the meeting, which you can view below starting around the 3:48:00 mark.
Related:
- Cobb County Manager gets raise, contract extension
- New Cobb Elections director hired; will start in December
- Citizens skeptical of transit tax at East Cobb town hall
- Conservative group opposed to Cobb transit tax referendum
- Cobb commissioners approve funding to finish police Precinct 6
- Cobb tax commissioner sends out 2023 property tax bills
- Cobb commissioners adopt FY 2024 budget with no millage cut
Get Our Free E-Mail Newsletter!
Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!
