A Summit County the county has no plans to further invest in Israel bonds in response to the war in Gaza, a council member said during this week's meeting.
For the past month, some residents have spoken in Summit County Council meetings asking officials to sell the bonds to apply some economic pressure on Israel.
On Monday, Councilmember Liz Walters said they can鈥檛 sell the bonds they鈥檝e already bought because that must be approved by the Israeli government.
However, she said, they aren鈥檛 planning to make any future investments.
鈥淲e all, internally, have talked and have no plans to purchase Israeli bonds going forward,鈥� she said, which was met with applause from meeting attendees. 鈥淲e鈥檙e going to let these things run their course.鈥�
Dr. Ahmad Jadallah, a member of the Palestinian-American community who has helped lead the charge in Summit County, is 鈥減leased鈥� with Walters鈥� comments.
鈥淭his is only one step of many,鈥� Jadallah said. 鈥淪ometimes, politics is local. And if your federal government is not doing something, it starts at the grassroots level.鈥�
The ultimate goal is to put pressure on Israel to agree to a ceasefire, he added.
鈥淲e are all about nonviolence. Sometimes, economic pressure is the way to go, and hopefully, that will force change,鈥� Jadallah said.
Walters did not immediately respond to 海角破解版鈥檚 request for an interview.
In the council meeting, she said the county鈥檚 investment board will meet soon to make a final decision. Jadallah has been invited to that meeting, he said.
Summit is not the only Ohio county considering such a request. Cuyahoga County Council brought forth a resolution in early June requesting the county's treasurer cease investments in Israel bonds. after Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost sent County Executive Chris Ronayne a letter urging him not to.
according to a March press release from Treasurer Robert Sprague announcing a $30 million purchase.
鈥淎fter the purchase, the Ohio Treasury now holds a total of $262.5 million in Israel Bonds, continuing Ohio鈥檚 standing as one of the largest government holders of these bonds in the United States,鈥� according to the release.
