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A City Commission vote on a Gaza ceasefire resolution proposed by the mayor of Miramar, Florida, was postponed on Wednesday to allow for further public comment.
Mayor Wayne Messam’s resolution — which can be read in full HERE — says, “The City Commission supports an immediate end to all hostilities in Israel, Gaza, and Occupied Palestinian Territories; the freeing of all hostages from Hamas and the freeing of all administrative detainees held by Israel, lifting all barriers and blockades, to the provision of humanitarian assistance at scale to meet the full needs of the population of Gaza, in line with international law, the resumption of U.S. funding of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, the rebuilding of the schools, homes, mosques, churches, and other structures destroyed in this conflict, enforcement of US and international laws requiring Israel and all recipients of US military assistance comply with human rights standards and international humanitarian law, and the beginning of a process of repair and reconciliation for all impacted by the violence in the region including the advancement of safety and dignity for all Israelis and Palestinians.”
While a vote was not held at this week’s bi-monthly Miramar City Commission meeting, a number of members of the public did address the forum to weigh in on the resolution, including Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM) Chief Government Affairs Officer Lisa Katz, who voiced her opposition.
“As a former elected official, I understand the desire to respond to your residents, but in this situation, I urge the City Commission to permanently forego consideration of this ceasefire resolution, as cities should not involve themselves in matters of foreign policy,” Katz — a past Town Supervisor of New Castle, New York — said. “And if you do, where are the resolutions regarding, for instance, Ukraine, Congo, Sudan, and Syria?”
“If the Commission chooses to proceed in the future, it is imperative to include perspectives from the Jewish community, as well as factual information, not those gleaned from Tik Tok,” she added. “I urge you to speak with the Israeli Consul General and to educate yourselves. Never forget that there was a ceasefire before Hamas invaded Israel on October 7th and kidnapped, mutilated, and murdered innocent civilians. There can be no equivalency between the democratic State of Israel, a steadfast and valued U.S. ally, and Hamas, a U.S.-designated terrorist group with American blood on its hands. Hamas must release all hostages as a precondition for any ceasefire discussion.”
Dozens of municipal governments across the U.S. have passed Gaza ceasefire resolutions since October 7th. A CAM analysis published earlier this year said these resolutions “promulgate antisemitism through demonization of the world’s only Jewish state.”
“These resolutions, devoid of tangible real-world solutions, end up being more of a virtue signal than a constructive step forward,” the analysis noted.
