Hilliard council president again apologizes for timing of war resolution

HILLIARD, Ohio (WCMH) -- At Monday night’s Hilliard City Council meeting, the council president addressed the public, again apologizing for passing a resolution on the first day of Passover, calling for a mutual end to hostilities in Gaza.  This comes after Hilliard City Council received backlash for passing the resolution.  Both the Jewish and Palestinian [...]

HILLIARD, Ohio (WCMH) -- At Monday night’s Hilliard City Council meeting, the council president addressed the public, again apologizing for passing a resolution on the first day of Passover, calling for a mutual end to hostilities in Gaza. 

This comes after Hilliard City Council received backlash for passing the resolution. 

Both the Jewish and Palestinian communities had a chance to express their feelings at the meeting. There were a lot of upset people, but there were also a lot of people who applauded council president Cynthia Vermillion; some still think she should resign, but others disagree. 

Vermillion once again apologized for signing a resolution on a Jewish holiday.

“Placing that legislation on the agenda on such an important holy day showed a lack of understanding and empathy for members of the Jewish faith," Vermillion said. “I'm committed to learning from my mistakes and will approach future topics of greater sensitivity to those of all views."

Some accepted her apology.

“I think the timing of this vote was unfortunate, but that’s no reason to call for the president’s resignation,” one resident said.

Others were not too thrilled.

“I’m ashamed and appalled at you, and I’m ashamed for the city,” another resident said.

Jonathan and Lori Feibel were two of tonight's speakers. Jonathan, co-chair of the Jewish Community Relations Council, said while he appreciates Vermillion's apology, he thinks she needs to step aside. 

“She had been told prior to the vote by the city manager, the city attorney and several council members that this was inappropriate, not fair to the Jewish people, and she did it anyway,” he said. 

“I am not going to be silent while children, mine included, and those all over campuses, all over our nation, are being intimidated,” Lori Feibel said.

Mazen Rasoul, a Hilliard resident, said that he’s been at every meeting for weeks now, fighting for this resolution to be signed. The day Vermillion signed it, he said it felt like their voices were finally heard. 

“We wanted to show support to the city council, that the resolution actually aligned with, to some degree, with the demands of the community of Hilliard that came week after week to demand this resolution to speak out against this genocide and demand a stop and an end to all of this violence,” Rasoul said.

One thing that was brought up a few times was that Vermillion and the other council members should focus on issues of the city, not so much on what’s going on in the Middle East. 

Nonetheless, Vermillion did not comment on whether she would resign.