East Central Reporter

A resident of Bloomington Township managed to gather the required 15 signatures necessary to hold a special township meeting of electors. The objective was to vote on a ballot question that many perceived as being distinctly anti-Israel. The question read, “Shall the United States federal government and subordinate divisions stop giving military funding to Israel, which currently costs taxpayers 3.8 billion dollars a year, given Israel’s global recognition as an apartheid regime with a track record of human rights violations?”

Following the election of a moderator to oversee the proceedings, both supporters and detractors were allotted three minutes each for their arguments. After concluding the hearing segment of the meeting, a vote was taken on the matter. The proposal was ultimately rejected by a margin of 88 votes against and 28 in favor.

Upon the resolution's defeat, most of its proponents reportedly left before the public comment portion of the meeting began. It is widely agreed that this outcome was appropriate since township governments are not endowed with powers related to foreign aid distribution.

Interestingly, similar initiatives have been attempted in other townships across the state. These efforts seem more focused on exploiting a provision in Township Code to garner attention rather than addressing policy considerations within township government powers.

The entire meeting was recorded and is available for viewing online. The video begins with public comments, the first of which came from an ISU student.