HAMTRAMCK, Mich. – A Muslim-majority Metro Detroit city is changing the name of a street to show support for Palestinians amid the devastating monthslong war in Gaza.
The city council for Hamtramck, which is comprised of Muslim men, approved a resolution last week to rename part of Holbrook Avenue to Palestine Avenue as a “gesture of solidarity” amid the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. About one mile of the roadway, between St. Aubin and Buffalo streets, will take on the honorary name -- which won’t have an impact on official postal addresses, the resolution says.
The resolution comes amid the second month of the war in Gaza, the latest violence between Israel and the Hamas-ruled territory that was sparked by a surprise Hamas attack on Oct. 7. Since the attack, which killed 1,200 people, nearly 20,000 Palestinians -- mostly women and children civilians -- have been killed due to military action and Israel’s unyielding bombardment of the territory.
About 90% of Gaza’s 2.3 million people have been displaced in the besieged territory amid the fighting, as well.
The Hamtramck City Council says renaming part of its roadway to Palestine Avenue is “symbolic” and meant as a “gesture of solidarity, remembrance, and compassion for the lives lost in Gaza.” The resolution was approved on Dec. 12, though it was unknown when the honorary name would take effect.
The Hamtramck City Council’s resolution came just after dozens of businesses across Metro Detroit, largely in the Dearborn area, participated in a “global strike” to show support for Palestinians and to put pressure on world governments to support a cease-fire in Gaza. On Dec. 11, the many businesses closed their doors for the day, and people were encouraged not to patronize any businesses and to stay home from work to make an economic impact.
Israel has faced growing international outrage over its military’s tactics that have killed and displaced Palestinian civilians and kept them without food, water, and other resources for months. The country also faces growing criticism among its own people, who are calling on Israel to resume talks with Hamas after three Israeli hostages were recently mistakenly killed by Israeli troops while waving a white flag.
Israel has been operating with significant support from the United States, its major ally. Many people in Metro Detroit, which is home to the largest Arab population in the country, do not support the Biden administration’s blanket support of Israel amid the war, and have been calling for a cease-fire in the region. Some of Israel’s closest allies, including France, Germany and the U.K., also joined calls for a cease-fire this past weekend.
U.S. President Joe Biden took a tougher stance on Israel last week, saying the country is losing support due to its “indiscriminate bombing.” On Monday, Dec. 18, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was expected to press Israel to take a more targeted approach in Gaza in an effort to blunt the war’s devastating impact on civilians.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted that its military is prepared to fight until it removes and destroys Hamas and frees the dozens of Israeli hostages that remain.
---> In Israel, the US defense secretary is expected to press for a more targeted approach in Gaza
Hamtramck is known for being home to a large population of immigrants, who comprise nearly half of the city’s population. At first known as a Polish enclave in the 20th century, the city is now home to a large Arab population, and has the believed first Muslim-majority city government in the U.S.