Over the last year the East Brunswick mayor and council have stood firm in refusing to consider adopting a ceasefire resolution in the Israel-Gaza conflict.
However, now a third party candidate is running for mayor under the Free Palestine affiliation in Tuesday’s election.
Ateka Gunja has been a vocal supporter of a ceasefire resolution in Gaza and has said that she believes the matter is a global humanitarian issue and not a Jewish or Muslim issue. She has stated the response from Mayor Brad Cohen and the council prompted her to enter the campaign.
Gunja, a cardiologist, did not return a message sent through her Instagram campaign site for further comment.
The race has three doctors pitted against each other—Democratic incumbent Cohen is an obstetrician/gynecologist and Republican Eugene DeMarzo is a podiatrist.
Cohen told The Jewish Link the township would not be taking up a ceasefire resolution because it is an issue outside its purview. “I am issuing absolutely no statements about the Middle East as mayor because it doesn’t belong in local politics,” he said. “Our position as a mayor and as a township is not to issue a statement. We had people come to meetings asking the township council for a ceasefire, but we won’t issue a statement about an international issue.”
Cohen noted he and the council preferred to focus on local issues such as road repair or garbage collection that actually affect residents, adding, “When it comes to the town we should all be on one page. The issues are local and we want to keep it that way.”
DeMarzo, who has previously run for council twice and once for mayor, did not respond to an email request for comment on the ceasefire issue.
Since last year the issue of a ceasefire has come before some municipal governing bodies, many pushed by pro-Palestinian groups across the state and country that have often turned divisive. Some have chosen to let residents on both sides of the matter speak but declined to take action. Meetings last winter in East Brunswick brought out ceasefire supporters from across the state.
There is an East Brunswick pro-ceasefire Instagram page, ebforceasefire, which is advocating for a number of pro-Palestinian causes. It describes Gunja as a “tireless activist” who would be “an incredible mayor.”
The site has flyers for rallies throughout the region or posts from various groups calling for an arms embargo against Israel and accusing Israel of committing genocide, illegal colonization and occupation and calling for the abolishment of AIPAC.
It also has information about voteforpeace.info and posted the list of candidates it has endorsed including: Jill Stein, the Green Party candidate for president, who is a staunch ceasefire advocate; Green Party candidates running statewide in congressional races; and locally, Gunta for Mayor of East Brunswick; Reshema Khan for Teaneck Council; Nadia Hozein for Teaneck Board of Education and Sarah Rashid for Piscataway Council.
East Brunswick is home to a significant Jewish population and has three synagogues, the Reform Temple B’nai Shalom, Conservative East Brunswick Jewish Center and Orthodox Young Israel of East Brunswick.
Debra Rubin has had a long career in journalism writing for secular weekly and daily newspapers and Jewish publications. She most recently served as Middlesex/Monmouth bureau chief for the New Jersey Jewish News. She also worked with the media at several nonprofits, including serving as assistant public relations director of HIAS and assistant director of media relations at Yeshiva University.
