Local Resolutions Supporting Palestinians in Israel-Hamas War Bring Debate to City Councils Across US
For weeks, Americans in a host of Democratic-led cities have packed their government chambers for marathon sessions, all to demand immediate action from local leaders on a matter nowhere near home: the Israel-Hamas war. More than a dozen U.S. city councils have now passed resolutions urging Israel to stop shelling Gaza, including several in Michigan, which has a sizable Muslim population, and several in California. Among the biggest cities to do so are Atlanta and Detroit.
As the death toll in the Israel-Hamas war has mounted and bombing has killed more than 15,500 people according to Gaza health officials, disagreements have roiled communities large and small. Early support for Israel following the Oct. 7 slaughter of some 1,200 Israelis by Hamas has been met with calls to help Palestinians.
Local resolutions on international affairs largely amount to symbolic gestures that play no direct role in foreign policymaking. But they can send a signal to allies abroad over the domestic political temperature and provide a vehicle for some of the most opinionated voters to say their piece.
Those calling for cease-fire resolutions believe that a critical mass of local gestures may ultimately convey to the White House that it has lost support for backing Israel’s military campaign, especially if the resolutions come from Democratic strongholds that serve as President Biden’s base.
The recent measures mark a distinct contrast with the response of local governments in October, when public officials widely condemned the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks and expressed solidarity with Israel. Leaders representing some of the largest jurisdictions passed pro-Israel resolutions, including Los Angeles County and Dallas, as did cities with large Jewish populations like Beverly Hills, Calif., and those with conservative voters like Huntington Beach, Calif.
Advocates for cease-fire resolutions say that they have few other options to get the attention of Washington, where Congress and the White House still support Israel’s military effort. They are coordinating efforts to convince elected leaders in various regions of the need to take action, offering stock language and urging constituents to lobby.
Pro-Israel groups note with concern that even before Oct. 7, hate crimes were soaring. Now, with the Hamas-Israel war on local government agendas, city halls have formally opened the door to potential hate speech and the public spread of disinformation.
As the debates continue, it remains to be seen whether these local resolutions will ultimately have any impact on U.S. policy regarding the Israel-Hamas war. Regardless, the issue has been thrust into the spotlight at city council meetings across the nation, sparking intense and impassioned debates that reflect deep divisions among Americans over the conflict.