The Dallas City Council Wednesday unanimously approved a resolution condemning the attack by Hamas on Israel, calling for peace in the Middle East and the return of all hostages.
The vote came after emotional testimony from North Texas residents and city council members.
A large number of Palestinians filled the City Council chamber to protest the vote, saying the resolution should also have condemned the mistreatment they claim by Israel against Gaza, from which Hamas launched the attack.
Decades of discord between Palestinians and Israelis were recalled in Wednesday's city council chamber.
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“Gaza is a concentration camp. The Israeli government puts a calorie count on Palestinians in Gaza leaving 90% of Gaza food insecure,” said Gaza supporter Lyan Alshaikhsalama. “The Israeli government ban on fuel entry into Gaza means that Gazans only get 6 hours of electricity a day.”
Gaza supporter Faizan Syed asked city council members to imagine life in Gaza with 40-foot walls encircling the narrow strip of land where millions of Palestinians live.
“What is the major sin of the Gazans that they have been treated in this inhumane, apartheid devastating, disastrous manner,” Syed said. “We can not support a piece of legislation that doesn’t recognize the tremendous suffering and devastation that Israel has done against the Gazans.”
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Jewish supporters of Israel, whom the opponents outnumbered, countered that nothing justifies the new attack by Hamas that took so many lives and included the kidnapping of hostages.
“You stand with Israel, or you stand with the terrorists. There is absolutely no middle ground,” said Stuart Blaugrund, Dallas Chapter President of the American Jewish Committee.
That is the message supporters of Israel wanted to send with Mayor Eric Johnson’s resolution.
“This is Israel’s 9-11. The only way to fight that is with good, when good comes together, when the whole world comes together,” said Israel supporter Eliyahu Kaufman said.
Despite the disagreement among public speakers, with some asked to leave the room to disrupt the meeting, there was no disagreement when city council members discussed the resolution.
Council Member Jaynie Schultz said she is also a citizen of Israel.
“This resolution is not about the Palestinian people. It is about their leaders and the willingness of those monsters to murder innocent Jews and put their own citizens at risk,” Schultz said.
Mayor Johnson said the Palestinian critics of the resolution misunderstand the purpose of it.
“We’re talking about what I think is a very clear evil that was perpetuated by a particular group,” Johnson said.
Council Member Cara Mendelsohn quoted President Joe Biden’s remarks about the attack as she supported the Dallas measure.
“It’s stated purpose is annihilation of the State of Israel and murder of the Jewish people,” she said.
Adam Bazaldua said it was unprovoked textbook terrorism.
“This was not about politics, but instead was meant to do harm to as many Jews as possible simply because they are Jews.” Bazaldua said.
The city leaders said Dallas strives to welcome people of all nationalities, and both sides of this debate live in relative peace aside from the dispute Wednesday.
There was extra security visible at Dallas City Hall during the debate.
