The Dallas City Council — except for one absent member — voted unanimously to approve a resolution “unequivocally condemning" the Gaza-based military group Hamas for an attack launched on Israel.
The largely symbolic gesture — thousands of miles away from Gaza — comes after Hamas launched raids and a barrage of missiles into Israel over the weekend. Since the fighting broke out, the Israeli government has formally declared war.
A more peaceful conflict played out shortly before the council voted on the resolution. Many members of Dallas' Palestinian and Muslim communities, and a few antiwar activists, showed up to city hall to voice opposition. And members of Dallas Jewish communities voiced their support.
Some of the opponents said the resolution negated a complex decades-long struggle in the region, and did not take into account the hundreds — possibly thousands — of Palestinian citizens killed in the Israeli government's heightened military response to Hamas' attack. Opponents also said the resolution ignored what they claimed was a long history of war crimes being committed by the Israeli government against those in Gaza.
“Surrounding us are these huge walls. That is the life of a person in Gaza,” Faizan Syed said pointing to the walls of the council chamber. “We cannot support a piece of legislation that doesn’t recognize the tremendous suffering and devastation that Israel has done against the [people of Gaza].”
Noor Wadi is an attorney and was a member of Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson’s ethics reform commission. She said the resolution goes against the city’s values of accountability and honesty. She urged city officials vote no on the resolution — or withdrawal it completely.
“I know very well the values that this city stands for and this proposed resolution is far from those values,” Noor Wadi said during the meeting. “Israel is essentially flattening Gaza…this resolution gives those war crimes a rubber stamp of approval.”
Council members and members of the city's Jewish communities say nothing justifies the raids and missile barrages that Hamas launched.
Eliyahu Kaufman likened the weekend attacks to the terror attacks in New York City on September 11, 2001.
“This is Israel’s 9/11,” Kaufman said at Wednesday’s meeting. “As the mayor pointed out, this resolution represents a moral clarity that is necessary in this issue.”
Kaufman referred to reports and pictures on social media coming out of Israel detailing kidnappings, murder and targeting of Israeli civilians as reasons Dallas officials should back the resolution.
Stuart Blaugrund is the president of the Dallas chapter of the American Jewish Committee. He says the attack launched by Hamas was rooted in hatred and that the city had two simple options before them.
“[Hamas’] charter calls for the destruction of Israel,” Blaugrund said. “What we are talking about today is pure, unadulterated antisemitism…you stand with Israel, or you stand with the terrorists.”
District 12 Council Member Cara Mendelsohn has been vocal on X — formerly Twitter — since the Hamas-Israel conflict started. She did not prepare her own comments for the meeting but quoted remarks made by President Joe Biden.
“This is so personal, that I am actually not going to give my personal comments,” Mendelsohn said before reading parts of Biden’s speech that included a strong condemnation of Hamas and graphic descriptions of the human toll.
The Biden Administration has reaffirmed the United State’s relationship with the Israeli government and support of its military response.
During public comments, Mohammed Ayachi and other opponents to the resolution said they felt city officials did not support Dallas’ Palestinian community.
“I have attended protests every single time there has been an atrocious act done by the Israeli government to the Palestinian people and never once did I see anything like this happen with the City Council,” Ayachi said. “Do we not matter to you? Do we not count?”
District 11 Council Member Jaynie Schultz holds Israeli citizenship. She said members of her family were born there.
“Saturday changed everything,” Schultz said. “Nothing, absolutely nothing, justifies the pogrom that Hamas perpetrated.”
Schultz pointed to many gruesome images coming out of Israel. She said she hopes for the safe return of hostages and that innocent Gaza citizens are “allowed to enter Egypt” while Israel eliminates Hamas.
“It is important for the world to see the United States, from our federal government to our municipal governments, stand with liberal governments like Israel,” District 1 Council Member Chad West said. “And against terrorism like Hamas, around the world.”
Johnson, who placed the resolution on the agenda, says the resolution is clear.
"If someone has an issue with being against Hamas...or is against the swift return of hostages," Johnson said. "Then okay, we just on different...pages and we need to pray about that."
The resolution will be sent to local chapters of Jewish community groups and to the U.S. State Department.
The Israeli government has blockaded Gaza, cutting off food, fuel and medical aid to those trapped inside, according to The Associated Press. Along with thousands of civilians killed on both sides — with many more injured or missing.
At least 20 U.S. citizens may be missing — or dead.
In all, more than 30 members of the public signed up to speak at the meeting.
Other mostly symbolic resolutions have been meet with opposition around the horseshoe — like one passed earlier this year opposing e U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, ruling that there was not a constitutional right to an abortion.
Council members who opposed the abortion-related resolution said there are some issues that municipal governments can't do anything about.
Got a tip? Email Nathan Collins at ncollins@kera.org. You can follow Nathan on Twitter @nathannotforyou.
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