Lafayette College students, professor reignite cease-fire discussion at Easton City Council

EASTON, Pa. — The push to pass a resolution calling for a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war returned to Easton City Council on Tuesday — this time spurred by Lafayette College students and faculty.

At the end of council's meeting, an adjunct professor and two students took to the City Hall podium to express desire for a cease-fire resolution backed by city council — this time, with an emphasis on how a conflict across the world has real impact on Easton citizens.

Drew Swedberg, an adjunct professor in Lafayette's Film and Media Studies Department, spoke on behalf of Lehigh Valley Artists for a Free Palestine, “a group of over 100 artists and community members who are joining national and global calls for a cease-fire, as well as local calls for this council to immediately pass a cease-fire resolution.”

Mayor Sal Panto Jr., who has on several occasions said the war falls outside the purview of the city council, interjected to say that allotted time was for “city of Easton issues.”

Swedberg said his comments did, in fact, deal with the city, and was permitted to resume.

Criticizing elected leaders

Reading a statement from the Lehigh Valley Artists for a Free Palestine, Swedberg called for “an immediate and permanent cease-fire, lifting the siege on Gaza, ending the occupation of Palestine, the freedom of Palestinian prisoners and the end of Western complicity for Zionism.”

Swedberg said Gov. Josh Shapiro had rejected such cease-fire resolutions, and tried to criminalize protests in Philadelphia, while U.S. Sen. John Fetterman “denie[d] war crimes and casually endorse[d] Israel.”

Swedberg said U.S. Rep. Susan Wild, D-Lehigh Valley, had censured Palestinian colleagues, called for increased military funding for Israel and engaged with Islamophobic posts online.

“Our elected officials in the three major cities in the Lehigh Valley collectively allowed an estimated $3,114,155 in their constituents’ federal tax money to be sent annually to arm Israel," Swedberg said.

"These funds should be used to care for the constituents who struggle with basic needs — which I appreciate you having brought that up today — such as affordable housing and food."

He called out Panto, Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk, Bethlehem Mayor J. William Reynolds and all city council members to support cease-fire agreements.

“Until they do so, we, the undersigned artists will withhold our voting power in favor of any mayor and city council member who fails to support these resolutions,” Swedberg said.

'This is a huge step'

Lafayette student Yaseen Saleh, who appeared in support of a cease-fire initiative at City Hall in October, returned to speak about his experience as part of a Muslim group at the college and what they saw on social media accounts just after the initial Oct. 7 attacks.

“There was message spreading around social media around that time saying that that Friday was going to be a ‘Friday of Jihad,’ that Hamas was telling all of these people, ‘This is a jihad day,’ or ‘Do jihad as opposed some type of looting that you're about to do,’" Saleh said.

"Me and all five of us Muslim students on campus, there were legitimately people who were scared of us, as if we had something that we could do to them as five students out of 2,000-some" students.

Saleh said the matter at hand “is not just about Palestine,” but “about what’s done to the community” in Easton as well, with a fear that reports of Muslims being attacked in other parts of the country could become reality in the city, or at Lafayette.

“This is a huge step,” Saleh said, regarding passage of a cease-fire resolution. “You might not see the direct connection, but for the many students here, for the many people in your community, we feel that direct connection.

"So calling for a cease-fire and an immediate note on the community that this Islamophobia, this hatred, is not acceptable, it would make a change for so many.”

'The issue is local'

Following Saleh’s comments, Councilwoman Taiba Sultana encouraged the public to call out state Reps. Bob Freeman, Steve Samuelson, Peter Schweyer and Mike Schlossberg for pushing “unconditional support in Israel.” Sultana plans to challenge Freeman in the Democratic primary for his state House seat.

Lafayette student Ari Ismail said she was upset to have found even after sharing her feelings on a cease-fire at a prior council meeting, no action had been taken.

She, as did Swedberg, emphasized that local taxpayers were contributing to the support offered to Israel, making the matter both local, national and international.

“I'm just begging once again, urging you all to not continue to let your constituents’ taxpayer dollars get spent on this genocide," she said.

"To call for a ceasefire as they did in Chicago, as they did in other cities. It's really not that hard.”

After the meeting, Panto said the speakers were working alongside Sultana, saying, “there’s no doubt in my mind she’s doing that, she’s orchestrating the whole thing, she’s the ringleader.”

“Mrs. Sultana just wants to keep her one issue alive," Panto said. "She has no interest for the city.

"She just wants to bring that issue and keep it alive, because she's running a campaign [against Freeman]. And that’s campaign gibberish."

Panto said he still would be open to Sultana bringing up a cease-fire resolution "if it has support."

Sultana said the cease-fire resolution is pertinent to city residents, and requires attention, which she will seek by reintroducing the matter soon.

“The issue is local," Sultana said. "This is impacting and affecting the residents of the city of Easton, as a couple of the speakers said.

"Lafayette is located in the city of Easton, and all those students have been impacted by this conflict. We're just asking [politicians] to tell the higher-ups to stop this genocide, to stop killing civilians with our own tax dollars.”