Since October 7, motions calling for a ceasefire in Gaza have been handed by eight Victorian councils – Merri-bek (previously Moreland), Maribyrnong, Dandenong, Yarra, Hume, Darebin, Wyndham and Brimbank.
This week town of Melbourne, the place I’m a councillor, joined the fray to debate a movement calling for a ceasefire within the Israel-Hamas battle.
It’s ridiculous that the actions of a council in Victoria could have any bearing on what occurs on the bottom in Israel and Palestine.
However there’s a lot councils can do to defuse tensions right here in Melbourne.
After the Metropolis of Melbourne’s ceasefire proposal was revealed, I acquired virtually 1000 letters and emails.
One was from a Jewish father who visited town along with his youngsters each weekend. Till just lately. After getting an ice cream, his 13-year-old son was recognized as Jewish by protesters within the pro-Palestinian march. He wrote that protesters continued to cowl his son’s physique with anti-Semitic stickers.
Each week I hear from Jewish enterprise homeowners who arrive every morning to seek out their shops coated in anti-Semitic materials, threatened with boycotts and subjected to slander. And guests who’re so intimidated by the chants of the lots of of pro-Palestinian activists who march by means of our streets each weekend that they’ve stopped coming to town.
Councilors can not obtain peace within the Center East. This isn’t what we had been elected to do. However we will work to make sure we create a metropolis wherein all Victorians really feel protected.
Many taxpayers rightly level out that municipalities ought to keep on with their core enterprise – roads, charges and waste. If we do, we will make an actual distinction in our native communities.
The proposal was misplaced after greater than three hours of debate. I voted towards the ceasefire proposal as a result of I used to be not elected to alter overseas coverage. However I used to be elected to maintain our metropolis clear.
So whereas I voted towards the cease-fire movement, later that night I voted to rapidly take away the vile racist graffiti and different materials plastered round our metropolis. As a result of cleanliness within the metropolis is the core enterprise.
However it’s time to cease losing council assets and taxpayer {dollars} on having these debates.
Let’s get overseas coverage out of native authorities and get again to enterprise.
Roshena Campbell is a councilor for the Metropolis of Melbourne
Initially revealed as Roshena Campbell: Councils should cease losing money and time debating Gaza ceasefire proposals