DARIEN, IL – Darien aldermen are set to vote Monday on a resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.
They also plan to consider developing a policy in which the City Council would not vote on national and international political issues.
For Monday’s meeting, the council is slated to vote on a resolution prepared by Burr Ridge resident Nizam Khatib.
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Its wording is nearly identical to a resolution that the Burr Ridge Village Board approved in early April.
Earlier this month, Khatib and others spoke to the Darien City Council in favor of the resolution. At the time, Mayor Joseph Marchese expressed concern about weighing in on issues outside Darien’s jurisdiction.
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Before that meeting, Marchese and City Administrator Bryon Vana met with Khatib and Burr Ridge Trustee Tony Schiappa about the resolution.
The resolution calls for an “immediate and sustained” ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
The resolution condemns the massacre of innocent Israeli and U.S. citizens and others massacred during Hamas’ terrorist attack on Oct. 7.
It also denounces the killing and injuring of thousands of innocent Palestinians in Gaza caused by Israel’s retaliation against Hamas.
Also on Monday’s council agenda is a vote on whether to ask staff to draft a policy against adopting resolutions or proclamations about “political or religious issues not within the immediate responsibility or sphere of influence” of the city.
Oak Brook already has such a policy, the city said.
Some residents are asking the city to avoid weighing in on the Gaza conflict. One is Mark Kiwiet, who emailed the mayor and aldermen earlier this month.
“I guess in the 20+ years I’ve lived in Darien, I’ve not once asked myself, ‘I wonder how my local municipality feels about complex, entrenched geopolitical struggles around the globe that have gone on since the dawn of man,'” he wrote.
Kiwiet continued, “(I)f you think on the one hand this would be some kind of harmless ‘feel good’ statement to make, you may very well anger a whole bunch of people for no logical reason. Then on election day, we will all have to sit around and ask ourselves ‘Gee-whiz this city runs well, but I doubt if they support my viewpoint about a global conflict halfway around the world – so vote them out!'”
Kiwiet said he would rather the council keep the city functioning as a “Nice place to live,” Darien’s slogan. He said he has sung the city government’s praises since moving to Darien.
“I am begging you to ignore this nonsense as it is completely irrelevant to the mission you have,” Kiwiet said. “Please save the discussions about geopolitics for the cocktail parties.”
The mayor thanked Kiwiet for his feedback.
“(H)opefully we can continue to provide the excellent services we now have to all of our residents,” he said.
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