Madera City Council votes on Gaza ceasefire resolution. Here’s how it went
Madera became the first city in the San Joaquin Valley to officially call for a cease fire in Gaza on Wednesday in a decision that local advocates hope will set a precedent in the region, specifically in Fresno.
During a special meeting, the Madera City Council voted unanimously to pass a resolution that calls “on our Congress Members to demand: an immediate permanent ceasefire; release of all hostages due to this conflict” and “the unrestricted entry of humanitarian assistance into Gaza,” among other demands.
Madera Mayor Santos Garcia said before the unanimous vote that the decision to consider the resolution was not easy, but he spoke firmly in support of it.
“There was a lot of exterior forces telling us not to go there,” he said, “but somehow we overcame and here we are today. And so as far as I’m concerned, this matter is done.”
Violence between Israel and Palestinians stretches back decades. The current Israeli offensive came after the Palestinian militant group Hamas staged a coordinated attack on Israeli soldiers and civilians Oct. 7, killing more than 1,000 people and taking hundreds hostage. Since then, Israeli attacks have killed more than 28,000 Palestinians, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
Last month, the Associated Press reported that women and children made up the majority of Palestinians killed.
Nationwide, communities have called upon their local governments to pass resolutions demanding Congress and President Joe Biden to call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza. Activists have called attention to the extreme power imbalance between Israel, militarily one of strongest countries in the world, and Palestine, one of the poorest countries in the world.
The city of Madera will be sending its Gaza ceasefire resolution to city councils throughout the Valley, to state legislators, members of Congress and President Joe Biden.
During public comment, members and allies of the local Palestinian and Muslim communities called attention to the attacks that the Israeli military carried out on the Palestinian city of Rafah over the weekend. They also told the story of 6-year-old Hind Rajab, a Palestinian girl recently found dead in a car that came under fire from the Israeli military.
“We live in a world so backwards, if you call for a cease fire, then you’re a terrorist,” said Madera resident Ahmad Alkhayyat. “You have no idea how much we appreciate the recognition that we belong with you, the human race.”
Yasir Amireh, who owns a business in Madera, said hundreds of his family members moved out of the city perviously called Jaffa, now Tel Aviv, in 1948 because of war with Israel. He said many moved to other countries, but many also landed in Gaza.
“I found out some of them have been killed,” he told the council. “The first one was on October 8. The last one was a couple of days ago – killed while he was trying to get out of the ambulance.”
After their comments, District 4 Councilmember Anita Evans assured the community members that she understands the pain they are feeling.
“I have seen people hanging from trees in Jackson, Mississippi,” said Evans, who is Black. “I have seen my ancestors that were put in the bottom of ships that were brought over here. ... Please, don’t ever think we don’t understand. We’re all people of color that sit up here.”
Rabbi Rick Winer of Fresno’s Temple Beth Israel, where he said many Jewish Maderans worship, told The Fresno Bee that the local Jewish community understands the frustration of the local Palestinian community. Winer has been involved in attempts to bring the two communities together in Fresno.
“Our hearts go out to the people of Gaza and Palestine, people in general,” he said. “We are greatly concerned and want to see an end to the hostilities.”
However, Winer said he is concerned that the ceasefire resolutions cities are increasingly passing are often one-sided. He said the resolutions should call for the release of all hostages, which the Madera resolution does.
Winer also called for recognition of the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas as a “horrific terrorist attack.”
“If there is no recognition of the horrific acts on both sides, then we, the Jewish community, are being condemned,” he said. “We can look at the world right now and see the extreme rise in antisemitism.”
Tension has shown in Fresno, where Mayor Jerry Dyer had the Israeli flag raised after the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas. In October, a rock was thrown through a window of Temple Beth Fresno and glass doors were broken at Noah’s Ark Restaurant and Bakery.
Dyer made comments during the flag-raising that offended some in the Palestinian community. He eventually brought members of both communities together during a news conference in December, hoping to mend relationships.
Winer said he had been meeting with local Palestinian leaders even before the December news conference. Despite tension in the city, he said his meetings with members of the Fresno Palestinian community have proven that “we have shared goals” and that the two communities can be united locally.
As of the end of January, at least 48 American cities had passed resolutions calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, and at least another 20 had passed resolutions that condemn Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7, Reuters reported Jan. 31. The Fresno City Council has also faced calls from protesters to pass a cease fire resolution.
Madera resident Omar Javaid, who initiated the request for the Madera council to pass its resolution, said that is one of the hopes.
“We want Fresno to have the same reaction,” he told The Bee after Wednesday’s Madera council meeting. “Our community feels it has been disregarded by the Fresno City Council.”
This story was originally published February 15, 2024 at 10:14 AM.
