Councilors call for cease-fire, release of hostages in Gaza

Apr. 24—Three city councilors and Mayor Alan Webber have introduced a resolution calling for a cease-fire in Gaza as well as the return of hostages captured by Hamas in its Oct. 7 attack on Israel.

"What has been happening — none of it is OK," sponsor Councilor Jamie Cassutt said at Wednesday's City Council meeting. "As the city of holy faith, we can show a better way."

The long resolution calls on New Mexico's congressional delegation to advocate for an "immediate ceasefire and an end to violence in Gaza and Israel" and for the "immediate return of all innocent hostages and unjustly held prisoners."

It also calls for an increase in humanitarian aid to Gaza; decries Islamophobic, antisemitic, anti-Palestinian and anti-Israeli bigotry; expresses sorrow over the loss of lives and suffering endured by civilians in Gaza and Israel; extends sympathy to Santa Feans who have been directly impacted by the conflict and encourages city residents to "seek, invite, and practice civil discourse."

Several dozen pro-Palestinian activists from a variety of local organizations, including Santa Feans for Justice in Palestine, the Santa Fe Democratic Socialists of America and New Mexico Jews for a Free Palestine stood outside City Hall on Wednesday evening with Palestinian flags and signs with statements including "resistance until liberation," "bombing kids is not self-defense" and "liberate Palestine from the Zionist Nazis."

During the council's public comment period, a number of people spoke in favor of the resolution but said they were unhappy it did not include more forceful language criticizing Israel.

"The Palestinian people have now undergone six months of genocide, and I don't use the word genocide lightly," said John Gutierrez.

Cease-fire supporters have, during public comment at several recent council meetings, called upon councilors to back a cease-fire officially. On Wednesday, the Santa Fe Ad Hoc Committee on Palestine and several other groups put out a news release thanking councilors but calling upon them to go further.

The council, the statement said, should "demand a permanent cease-fire, an end to weapons shipments to Israel, an immediate refunding of [the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East], an end to the siege of Gaza, and an end to and punishment for [Israeli army]-abetted settler violence on the West Bank."

Rachel Thompson, who spoke during public comment via Zoom, said she initially didn't see the point of the city passing a cease-fire resolution but, to quote former U.S. House Speaker Tip O'Neill, "all politics is local and we have to speak out on this."

Thompson said she did not see a conflict between being supportive of Israel and condemning violence against the people of Gaza as well as increased settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.

The resolution is sponsored by Webber and councilors Cassutt, Alma Castro and Pilar Faulkner. Castro and Faulkner had submitted a resolution calling for a cease-fire in February; Webber said the resolution introduced Wednesday was a combination of theirs and one he had written separately.

Webber, who criticized the cancelation of a scheduled visit by the Israeli consul general to Santa Fe last month and a concert by pro-Israel alternative rapper Matisyahu at Meow Wolf in February, said it was important to him and the councilors the conflict in the Middle East not divide people here in Santa Fe.

"We can disagree with each other about the war, but we ought not to be at war with each other here in Santa Fe," he said in a Tuesday interview.

Castro was not present at the meeting due to a police shooting near her family's restaurant Wednesday afternoon. In a text message, she said she was proud of the hard work of sponsors to present a resolution "that expresses our deepest sympathies" to those hurt and suffering in Palestine and Israel.

"I wasn't able to include everything I had hoped for, but I am confident that the process has made the council stronger and better for the effort," she wrote.

Faulkner said many people in Santa Fe have been "deeply and personally impacted" by the conflict and the resolution is an attempt to "come together and maybe try to start some healing."

"Humanity can do better and should be doing better," she said.

Webber said Tuesday he hopes the council can approve the resolution unanimously.

"I think the statement of conscience that's in that resolution is something that I hope the entire governing body can support," he said.

If passed, the resolution will be sent to New Mexico's congressional delegation and the office of President Biden and Santa Fe would join a long list of localities that have officially weighed in on the Israel-Hamas war. More than 100 other municipalities in the U.S. have passed resolutions calling for a cease-fire, including Chicago, Minneapolis and Atlanta.

In New Mexico, the Taos Council passed a cease-fire resolution in December, and the state Democratic Party's executive committee called for a "bilateral cease-fire" in January.

The resolution is scheduled to go before the City Council Quality of Life Committee on May 1 and to go back to City Council for a final vote on May 8.