Does Knoxville City Council have any business commenting on foreign affairs? Does the council have a responsibility to speak on matters of life and death? And what if the vote is 5-4 or 6-3?
At-large council member Amelia Parker has a resolution on the council agenda for Tuesday, March 19. It essentially asks the United States to force Israel to stop the genocide of Palestinians in Gaza. Knoxville City Council ICJ Motion March 19
Judith Rosenberg, president of the Knoxville Jewish Alliance, has asked her members and partners to attend the meeting. Rosenberg, of course, opposes the resolution, saying it will “create division and animosity between two minority communities” in Knoxville. The resolution will “continue to fuel hate speech and anti-Israel / anti-Jewish sentiment.”
For those attending, Rosenberg suggests:
- Show up at 5:30 and be prepared to stay awhile. The City County Building is at 400 Main Street.
- Bring ID and limit bags to pass through security.
- Call Will Johnson, city recorder, at 865-215-2075 or email wjohnson@knoxvilletn.gov to request to speak publicly against the resolution at the March 19 meeting.
Here’s our story when Parker offered a similar resolution on November 28, 2023.
In a Senate speech March 14, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called for new elections in Israel, leading to the replacement of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his right-wing cabinet.
Minority Leader Mitch McConnell disagreed. By evening, over 7,000 people had commented on the Washington Post story.
Come Tuesday evening, we’ll hear from Knoxvillians – hopefully not 7,000.
Sandra Clark is editor/CEO of Knox TN Today Inc.