The Dallas City Council voted on Wednesday to condemn Hamas and stand with Israel amid the ongoing conflict.
This resolution, unanimously passed by the council, states “that the City of Dallas unequivocally condemns Hamas for this deplorable and unprovoked attack on Israel.”
“That the City of Dallas stands with Israel in its fight against Hamas, prays for those who have lost family members and friends, calls for the swift return of all hostages, and hopes for a lasting resolution.”
Multiple council members spoke about the resolution and expressed their support for it to be passed.
Council Member Cara Mendelsohn of District 12 said that her district “has the largest Jewish population in all of Texas” and that many people she knows have been affected by the situation in Israel and Gaza.
“There isn’t one person in my community that I’ve spoken to that doesn’t have a direct connection with somebody living in Israel. Whether it’s a relative, a friend, a tourist, or a business associate,” she said.
“These are real people; these are our people. The stories I’ve heard have been so raw, so personal, so tragic.”
Council Member Adam Bazaldua of District 7 also gave his opinion on the resolution, saying he is heartbroken “not only for the people of Israel, not only for Jews or for Palestinians, but for mankind.”
“The attacks last weekend from Hamas were nothing short of textbook terrorism. This was unprovoked with no warning and has nothing to do with politics, but instead was an attempt to do harm to as many Jews as possible, simply because they are Jews,” said Bazaldua.
“This was a methodically planned attack to cause carnage, fear, and suffering of thousands of innocent civilians, many of whom were awoken to this terror from their sleep. I unequivocally condemn this attack by Hamas. Hamas, not Palestinians.”
Despite support from the city council, some Dallas residents spoke prior to the vote to voice dissenting opinions.
“The resolution is actually not a reflection of the Dallas community, and it will not keep us safe. Supporting this resolution would express support for 75 years of violence, ethnic cleansing, dispossession, military occupation, and apartheid,” stated Melissa Rodriguez, a resident of District 1.
“This resolution would enforce a double standard against the Palestinian community in Dallas. The right of Palestinians to protect and defend themselves is enshrined in international law.”
Resident Jo Hargis said, “There will never be peace while Palestinians are imprisoned in Gaza while they are deprived of access to clean water, to electricity, and to food.”
“We cannot stand with Israel while they compound their criminal occupation with further war crimes. We cannot stand with Israel while they collectively starve 2 million people,” she added.
“We must stand up to demand that our country stops funding this occupation to the tune of three billion dollars a year. And we must demand our officials stand up and demand this occupation ends because that is the only path to peace.”
Mayor Eric Johnson spoke last before the official vote and expressed his support for passing the resolution.
“We’re talking about what I think is a very clear evil perpetuated by a particular group. The group that has been identified in the resolution,” he said.
“I understand that there is a bigger geopolitical debate that has been going on for a long, long time, and some people want to use this resolution as a proxy for it. That’s not what the resolution says. So if you have an issue with what the resolution says, then I respectfully disagree with you, and we can have that discussion civilly and in love.”
