The Dallas skyline on Wednesday night turned blue and white to show support for Israel after terrorist attacks by Hamas have left more than 1,300 dead and thousands wounded.
Adam Bernhardt, a Group Manager at JLL Real Estate, previously said that the skyline only aligns about 15 to 20 times a year, adding that he believes the action “shows community.”
“It shows that we’re working together to further a cause, and that we’ll support each other for the causes of the people in Dallas,” he said, as reported by The Dallas Morning News.
This show of solidarity came just hours after the Dallas City Council passed a resolution to support Israel for the actions taken since the initial terrorist assault on Saturday.
A unanimous vote from the council helped pass the resolution, which 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,” read the resolution, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
Prior to the vote, several council members voiced their support and urged the council to pass the resolution.
Council Member Cara Mendelsohn of District 12 said her district “has the largest Jewish population in all of Texas” and “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,” according to The Dallas Express.
Although the City Council voted to support Israel with the resolution, not every Dallas resident feels the same way.
Melissa Rodriguez, a resident of District 1, spoke during the meeting and said, “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,” she said, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
“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.”
Similarly, a pro-Palestinian rally, organized by the Palestinian Youth Movement and the Dallas Palestine Coalition, was held at the Grassy Knoll where President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963.
Some protesters in attendance shouted, “When people are occupied, resistance is justified,” as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
Mayor Eric Johnson said in a news release that the actions taken by Hamas were a “barbaric act of terrorism.”
“As a city that prioritizes our international partnerships and relationships, we hope this resolution will send a clear message to the international community as to our city’s values,” added Johnson.
