Avon won’t fly Israel’s flag after spirited Town Council debate

The controversial subject of whether to display a flag on Avon’s flagpole in the roundabout at Avon Road and Benchmark Road resurfaced Tuesday when Town Council member Chico Thuon proposed flying an Israeli flag.

During the mayor and council comments section that comes just before the meeting closes, Thuon suggested the council consider flying an Israeli flag on its flagpole to show support for Israel during the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.

Thuon introduced the topic by referencing communication that occurred prior to the meeting between members of the council and the public about the possibility of flying an Israeli flag. Avon Mayor Amy Phillips later clarified that members of the public had contacted her about the topic, and she had responded.

“I personally support the idea, just because we’ve supported Ukraine, we’re supported LGBTQ,” Thuon said.

Flags and backlash

In 2021, Avon began flying a Pride flag during the month of June, which is Pride Month, to signify support for LGBTQ+ members of the community and accompany the town’s Pride in the Park event. Despite some backlash, a Pride flag has flown in Avon every June since 2021.

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In March 2022, the Avon Town Council voted to fly a Ukrainian flag for a month to show solidarity following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The Ukranian flag was flown again in Avon in April 2023, when two Ukranian amputees came to Eagle County to receive prosthetic limbs.

In addition to the precedent the town set with the previous two flags, Thuon suggested aligning Avon’s position with that of the federal government.

“With those two things being said, I think the U.S. government supports Israel. I’ve also heard that we don’t want to do that, or I’ve heard rumors that we want to separate church and state, where I don’t really see this as a church thing, I see it as a country thing. We need to support our partners around the world, and we need to kind of be uniform,” Thuon said.

The town of Avon has historically followed a policy of not using its flagpole as a public forum, but rather reserving it for distinct governmental displays, explained Avon town attorney Karl Hanlon. The Avon flagpoles typically fly the flags of the United States, the state of Colorado, and the town of Avon.

“You have never turned your flagpole into a formal public forum,” Hanlon said. “We had a discussion in (20)22 and then earlier this year in (20)23 about the Boston flagpole case, where that flagpole became a public forum because they allowed anybody who requested to fly a flag to be allowed to fly a flag. Avon has never done that, and so from your standpoint, for it to remain government speech, it really needs to come from this body as your decision to do that, not at the request of (a citizen).”

Hanlon clarified that the council could choose to fly the Israeli flag as a government decision.

“If this is something the council chooses to do, as government speech, on behalf of Avon, I think that is totally permissible for you to do, just recognizing that this is not you responding to a particular request, this is you deciding as a body to use your right of government speech as the entity to fly that flag,” Hanlon said.

Split opinions

Many members of the council had reservations about flying the Israeli flag on Avon’s behalf, with several citing conflicting narratives accompanying the war.

“I agree with everything you said, Chico, but there are hostages on both sides. There is a religious war. There are ethnicities on both sides that believe they are right, and we have people who live here in America that are on both sides of that. I am not picking a side,” said Lindsay Hardy, Avon Town Council member.

The United States has affirmed that Israel, a country that refers to itself as the nation-state of the Jewish people, has a right and obligation to defend itself. The country declared war on the Palestinian Islamist terrorist organization Hamas, which is based out of the Gaza Strip, following Hamas killing and taking hostage Israelis on Oct. 7.

In an op-ed in the Washington Post, United States Secretary of State Anthony Blinken wrote: “From the moment Hamas slaughtered more than 1,400 people in Israel, including at least 35 U.S. citizens, and took more than 230 hostages, President Biden has consistently affirmed Israel’s right — indeed, its obligation — to defend itself and prevent Hamas from carrying out such an attack ever again.”

U.S. officials have pressed for restraint from Israel and for pauses in the conflict — which Israel has implemented — amid a worsening humanitarian crisis.

Council member Ruth Stanley stated that she would never again involve herself or her vote in any flag-related discussion in Avon, after seeing contention in the community following former flag raisings. “I am no longer in favor of taking the responsibility of choosing what flag we fly when, so I will always abstain from any flag. I’ve heard too much from too many people,” Stanley said.

Avon Mayor Pro Tem Tamra Underwood clarified the difference between flying the Pride flag and flying flags that declare a stance on international conflicts.

“I find a distinction between supporting members of our community by flying the LGBTQ+ flag during Pride Month, or even a little bit longer, surrounding our Pride event. I think it’s important, welcoming, sincere, authentic, community-based speech from this council as to the importance of that event and that marginalized community,” Underwood said.

Underwood stated that in a vote she would be opposed to involving Avon’s flagpole in any international affairs, including the Israel-Hamas war.

“My heart breaks for Ukraine, my heart breaks for Israel, my heart breaks for the Palestinian people that are caught up in this. I voted against flying the Ukrainian flag, not because I hate Ukraine or whatever, I just don’t think this forum is the place to speak on those massively complicated issues of international relations,” Underwood said.

Mayor’s last word

Phillips was the last to speak, providing context for Thuon’s introduction of the topic.

“I was the one who made the comment that a separation of church and state is enshrined in our constitution, and therefore anything that is going to be what I think is really at the root of so much bloodshed and horror throughout the world, since the Middle Ages, has been religious wars, and that’s part of the reason why I believe strongly that there needs to be a separation of church and state,” Phillips said.

Phillips explained her opposition to flying the Israeli flag as a matter of principle.

“Looking at pretty much everything about if we chose to fly the flag of Israel, we’re actually supporting a constitution that has religious doctrines very strongly in their constitution, including updates, and that’s why I did make the comment that I would not support something because of the separation of church and state that I think is so important in the United States,” Phillips said.

Israel has no formal written constitution, but rather operates by a set of rules called the Basic Laws of Israel. In 2018, in the most recently created Basic Law, Israel declared itself the nation-state of the Jewish people.

For many Israelis and Jews, however, their Jewish identity is cultural, not religious.

The Associated Press reports that an Israeli Central Bureau of Statistics survey published in 2021 found that among Israeli Jews over the age of 20, about 45% identified as secular or not religious, while 33% said they practiced “traditional” religious worship. Ultra-Orthodox Jews, known as Haredim in Hebrew, made up 10% of those surveyed.

Phillips also cited the promotion of a positive community spirit within Avon as a deciding factor for her opposition to flying the Israeli flag.

“With that said, I very much agree with Tamra that the Pride flag is completely different, and the reasons we’ve flown that are completely different, and quite honestly, like Lindsay mentioned, I don’t see where us flying a flag is going to promote anything positive in our community. I have absolutely no idea how many Palestinians are in our community. I know how many are in the community I grew up in as a kid, and again, that’s where my deep-rooted belief that church and state should be separate, is why I wouldn’t support that,” Phillips said.

Council member Rich Carroll stated that if the council were to make a decision on the subject, it should be an agenda item, not in response to a council comment.

Phillips left the option to propose a vote up to Thuon, as he originally proposed flying the flag. Thuon opted not to move for a vote.”I have nothing else to say. You’ve (Phillips) said it all. Your statement says it all,” Thuon said.