District 7 Council Member Adam Bazaldua is calling on the Dallas City Council to “take a clear stance” and vote to pass a resolution calling for an immediate humanitarian aid effort along with an “exit strategy for all innocent civilians in Gaza.”
A statement released Thursday evening included a draft of Bazaldua’s resolution. Along with a call for aid, it also calls on the city to recognize “the impact that this armed conflict has on” civilians who have no other ways of protecting themselves.
“If there is any message that is taken from the Office of District 7, let it be that we stand with our Palestinian community, just as we have declared solidarity for our Jewish community,” Bazaldua’s statement said.
Bazaldua says he believes its crucial for elected leaders to be balanced if they are going to discuss international issues.
“I think that it was really important to acknowledge the hurt and the outpouring of residents that we’ve heard from in response to an action we took as a city,” Bazaldua told KERA. “I think that its important as leaders if we’re going to weigh in on international affairs to do it as balanced and inclusive of a way as we can.”
District 12 Council member Cara Mendelsohn indicated Friday that she did not support Bazaldua's proposed resolution.
"If one thought it was necessary for a city council to advocate for specific action related to Gaza, it should be a call for an immediate return of all hostages and total surrender of the terrorist organization Hamas," she said.
Bazaldua's call to action comes just one dayafter pro-Palestinian advocates and North Texas Palestinian-Americans were removed from Wednesday’s council meeting.After being warned several times by Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson about “outbursts” from the audience, the group began shouting and chanting at the council.
Johnson ordered the council “at ease” and instructed Dallas police officers to clear council chambers. Advocates had shown up to the meeting to call on the council to pass a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza — and condemnation of what they call war crimes being committed by the Israeli government.
“This is the legacy that you are leaving yourselves and you’re leaving it in our name as people who live and work in Dallas,” Noor Wadi told the council at Wednesday’s meeting. “Break your silence on the Palestinian civilians being murdered by Israelis and come out on the right side of history with a ceasefire resolution.”
“By condemning terrorist attacks that occurred in October, that doesn’t mean that we condone what is going on as a retaliation,” Bazaldua said. “There's a difference in defending yourself, and perpetuating what I would consider to be…war crimes.”
Hamas operatives killed more than 1,200 Israeli civilians and kidnapped about 240 during their Oct. 7 attack. International aid and health organizations have estimated that over 17,000 Palestinians have been killed in the weeks since the Israeli government launched a military operation in Gaza.
Bazaldua’s statement says that his office understands that global conflict often has an impact — even far away from the war in Gaza.
Still, he says he's not sure if the resolution will get enough votes to pass.
“I don’t know that I am going to have the easiest path,” Bazaldua said. “But I am hopeful that at least a majority of our council is going to be willing to find language that we can agree on that shows support for our Palestinian community and has the same passion for humanitarianism as we have on October 11th when we addressed the initial attack by Hamas.”
Got a tip? Email Nathan Collins at ncollins@kera.org. You can follow Nathan on Twitter @nathannotforyou.
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