West Lafayette councilman takes a stand for Israel over protesters' objections

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The West Lafayette City Council started its public comment Monday with a statement condemning antisemitism, Islamophobia, racism and hate, and acknowledging the pain and concern many of the city’s residents feel towards the war in Gaza.

But by the end of the meeting, the tone of tolerance evaporated as community members walked out of the meeting while council member David Sanders spoke about the history of the Jewish people in the Middle East on Holocaust Remembrance Day.

When Sanders began talking about xenophobia of the Arab world toward Jews, he then projected a photo taken by Associated Press photographer Ali Mahmud onto a screens in the council chambers. The photo showed Hamas militants as they drove back to the Gaza Strip with Shani Louk’s body in the back of a truck.

Sanders' comments came after the council listened for more than an hour to residents call on the council to adopt a resolution for a ceasefire in Gaza in hopes of helping push a nationwide movement for an end to the killings in Gaza.

Earlier in the meeting, leaders of a pro-Palestinian advocacy group presented the council with a petition calling for support of a ceasefire that was signed by 1,230 members of the Greater Lafayette community.

Sanders spoke up during his councilor report after residents belonging to the pro-Palestinian group gave their opinions.

“I’m very proud of the fact that all these people came and spoke here today," Sanders said. "That’s what we can do here in West Lafayette, and we can be critical of our government right to their face. I’m very proud of that.

“Interestingly enough, that can also happen in Israel. It could not happen in Hamas-controlled Gaza,” he said.

Many in the meeting called Sanders a liar and left before Sanders finished his comments.

Sanders spoke of how the Jewish people had been displaced from the Middle East due to generations of colonialism from both Christian and Arab settlers, the dismantling of the region brought on by the crusades and later the conquering of the Middle East by the Ottoman Empire.

Sanders then projected the photo of Hamas militants with a dead body in the truck.

The photo upset some who attended the council meeting.

Recess called to restore order

This commotion in the meeting room forced the council to take a five-minute recess before ultimately ending its meeting early. People attending the meeting asked why the council would display an “Islamophobic” photo to their Middle Eastern constituents.

As to why he used the photo, Sanders said he wanted to show what happened on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas surprise-attacked Israel.

"That image, which is a famous image," Sanders said. "This is the photo of the year, of these militias abusing the body of Shani Louk, who was attending the Nova festival."

The council listened to pro-Palestinian presentations at its February, March and April meetings, and not one person mentioned Hamas or the attack on Israel, Sanders said.

"The ultimate point is that Hamas initiated war, deliberately sacrificing Palestinian lives, children's lives," Sanders said. "They knew what would be the reaction of Israel to such a slaughter of its citizens."

'I couldn't even get in a few minutes without being shouted down'

Sanders said he was sickened by the Palestinian deaths in this war, but he wished the pro-Palestinian group at the council meeting would have let him speak.

"The city council, for close to five hours over the course of three months, listened to the statements," Sanders said, "And I couldn't even get in a few minutes without being shouted down.

"They're intolerant of other peoples' position," Sanders said.

Statement calls council member Islamophobic

After the meeting, leaders from Young Democratic Socialists of America Purdue, Students for Justice in Palestine Purdue, Showing up for Racial Justice Greater Lafayette and Jewish Voice for Peace Indiana released a joint statement addressing the end of the meeting.

“Attendees of the City Council Meeting began walking out first when Council Member Sanders claimed that people in Israel would have the same rights as we do here in West Lafayette to protest their government, which is not the case, both for its Jewish and Palestinian citizens, let alone Palestinians living under military occupation in the West Bank,” the joint statement read.

“Another wave of attendees walked out of the meeting when Sanders provided a non-contextual history of Imperialism in the region throughout antiquity in an attempt to justify Israel’s occupation and apartheid. Sanders then presented a photo of Hamas militants in a pick-up truck, implicitly equating all Palestinians to Hamas, which was grossly Islamophobic. Sanders made these comments to Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim attendees who are directly affected by the ongoing violence.

“We find it disappointing that the voice of the City Council is being overshadowed and co-opted by one Islamophobic member, especially after multiple meetings between community members and numerous City Council members who expressed personal support of a ceasefire. On Monday night, the community was unfortunately unable to hear the other council members’ responses, since Sander’s inflammatory remarks resulted in an early ending to the meeting.”

West Lafayette City Council President Larry Leverenz told the Journal & Courier after the meeting that the council did not know Sanders planned to use the controversial photo.

Next steps after Purdue campus encampment ends

The pro-Palestine student protestors at Purdue University ended their 12-day encampment Monday on the university’s Memorial Mall. They used the West Lafayette Council meeting to draw attention to their protests and calls for a ceasefire.

The groups sponsoring the campus protest collected 1,230 signatures of residents of Greater Lafayette and 683 signatures specifically from West Lafayette residents.

“As a Palestinian student and resident of West Lafayette, I deserve to feel safe in my own city. The West Lafayette City Council’s inaction regarding the ceasefire resolution has a direct effect on residents like myself. I really hope you hear our voices,” Natalie Nasser, one of the student protestors, said to the council.

After the meeting, Journal & Courier witnessed two members in support of the ceasefire resolution taking photos of license plates owned by media and local officials.

When asked about this, leaders from Young Democratic Socialists of America Purdue, Students for Justice in Palestine Purdue, Showing up for Racial Justice Greater Lafayette and Jewish Voice for Peace Indiana said those individuals did not represent the coalition of groups.

They denounced those individuals' actions, noting that they went against their beliefs and philosophy of de-escalation and peaceful protest.

Noe Padilla is a reporter for the Journal & Courier. Email him at Npadilla@jconline.com and follow him on X at 1NoePadilla.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Councilman Sanders' pro-Israel stance draws scorn from protestors