To reflect on the year, Chapelboro.com is re-publishing some of the top stories that impacted and defined our community’s experience in 2023. These stories and topics affected Chapel Hill, Carrboro and the rest of our region.
Like the rest of the world, the ongoing war between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas in final months of the year hung a weight over many in the Chapel Hill and Carrboro community. From Hamas’ killing and kidnapping of Israeli civilians on October 7 through each day of Israel’s deadly military response, residents have privately supported those downtrodden by the tragedies happening in the region — especially ones with connections to a Chapel Hill native living in Israel who is among the remaining hostages. The war also led some groups and public officials to speak out, sometimes in different directions.
Days after Israel began its military response and bombardment of Gaza, protests against attacks on innocent Palestinians popped up on several college campuses — including UNC. A student activism group supporting Palestinians organized a protest on the steps of Wilson Library on October 12, which was met with counter protestors supporting Israel and led to a tense demonstration. The event was not violent, although some demonstrators were ultimately separated from each other by campus police.
As that took place, UNC Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz shared the university’s first acknowledgement of the ongoing war and its toll on the campus community. During his University Day comments and later in an open letter to students, faculty and staff, he acknowledged the “heartbreaking pain” felt by those affected by Hamas’ attack and Israel’s destruction of Gaza in the early days of the war. Guskiewicz encouraged people to discuss their emotions, to seek mental health resources as needed, and to educate themselves on issues surrounding the Gaza Strip. The chancellor also warned that violence against any groups on campus would not be tolerated, as it violated the university’s policies and conflicted with its values.
“While we have a commitment to allow both internal and external groups to express their opinions under the First Amendment,” Guskiewicz wrote in his letter, “we also strive to rise above hateful rhetoric and engage in civil discourse and educated debate. We should lead by example, in showing how people of different backgrounds and perspectives come together and truly listen and learn from each other in an environment where everyone feels safe and supported.”
Rumors of an attack on a UNC student later tested that request. The Chapel Hill Police Department issued an alert on November 1 saying it was looking into social media posts made the night before referencing an assault on a hijabi student along Franklin Street. The UNC Muslim Students Association had shared an anecdote from an unnamed student claiming they were attacked by someone wielding a knife and wearing an Israeli flag on its Instagram story, which later expired. The organization then shared a grid post on the social media platform, saying the student was in contact with Chapel Hill Police but would not be doing interviews. UNC MSA did not respond to a request for comment from Chapelboro or clarification on whether the student was one of its members.
The Chapel Hill Police Department said at the time no charges had been filed in the case, with only an information report taken. A spokesperson for the department confirmed to Chapelboro that no charges have been filed by the student as of December 27.
Just more than one week later, Guskiewicz and UNC Provost Chris Clemens shared another message with the campus community asking for “peaceful dialogues” amid the ongoing tensions both on campus and in the Gaza Strip. The administrative leaders said there was an “increase in dangerous rhetoric targeting various members of our community,” which threatens both people’s safety and the ability to allow for open discussions.
“We all deserve to live and work on our campus safely without fear of being targeted by hateful speech,” Guskiewicz and Clemens wrote. “We are disappointed by some of the messaging we have seen and heard in our classrooms, on our sidewalks and in social media posts aimed at members or groups in our community.”
“Let us demonstrate how people of different backgrounds and perspectives can come together and truly listen and learn from each other in an environment where everyone can feel safe and respected,” the administrators concluded. “Each of us plays an important role in understanding the challenges facing our world and showing compassion, empathy and understanding for one another even when we disagree.”
As demonstrations picked up across the rest of the Triangle — with marches in Raleigh and the shutting down of the Durham Freeway by Jewish demonstrators asking for a ceasefire — so did calls for elected officials to take stands. At the state level, the North Carolina General Assembly passed a resolution calling for the U.S. Congress to financially support Israel and condemning Hamas’ attacks. Two of Orange County’s legislators, Sen. Graig Meyer and Rep. Renée Price chose not to approve the measure. Each individually denounced the terrorism conducted by Hamas, but said they did not want to support any pain inflicted on innocent civilians in Gaza. Rep. Allen Buansi voted to approve the resolution, saying his heart went out to Israeli families affected by the October 7 attacks — but added that he believes “violence against any civilians cannot be condoned.”
One of Orange County’s local governments also weighed into the discussion, albeit in a divided manner. The Carrboro Town Council passed a resolution on November 14 calling for a cease-fire in the ongoing war and for U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration to take further steps in preventing more violence in Gaza. The measure, approved 4-3, was considered in the council’s October 24 meeting and failed at that time. Council Member Sammy Slade revived the measure after making some changes to scale back its wording, which earned support of his colleagues Eliazar Posada, Danny Nowell, and Mayor Damon Seils.
“I really hope my colleagues on this council have heard and understand that this is not about anything other than saving people’s lives, and dignity, and being human,” said Slade.
“It is, in my opinion, necessary to have a cease-fire to save lives,” Seils added during his comments, “but also in order to address what is a growing tide of islamophobia and antisemitism — which is only enflamed by continuing violence.”
The town council trio of Susan Romaine, Barbara Foushee, and Randee Haven-O’Donnell voted against the measure, with each citing their belief that not all perspectives were reflected in the document and a split resolution did not display strength in numbers.
“There are no unifying words to capture the multiple truths and multiple feelings right now,” said Romaine. “I worry that a resolution would further divide us and make some of our community members not feel welcome here. That’s been the case in many other cities and towns all over the country that have approved resolutions on the Israel-Hamas war over the past five weeks.”
“For me,” Foushee said, “it was always important that no voices be muted in this resolution — none. The issue is complex and divisive, which is why I don’t want to weigh in on it. There’s too much to be taken into account and one resolution could never hold it all.”
Since then, neither the Towns of Chapel Hill or Hillsborough have taken up a resolution for a vote.
Pressure from Triangle residents also contributed to a change in U.S. Rep. Valerie Foushee’s stance from the start of the war. Foushee, who voted to financially support Israel’s military offensive in Gaza, signed onto a letter to Biden with other congressional representatives on December 1 advocating for a permanent extension of the brief, bilateral cease-fire at the time. The move came after several pro-Palestine and anti-war groups protested outside Foushee’s North Carolina office and flooded her office lines with requests for her to support a cease-fire.
Editor’s Note: This article has been updated from its original version to better reflect phrasing around the Gaza Strip’s geography and Hamas’ allegiances.
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