A majority of Santa Ana officials are calling for a bilateral ceasefire and a two-state solution in Israel and Palestine – the first city council to formally do so through a vote in Orange County.
It comes after a previous ceasefire resolution in support of Palestinians deadlocked in December.
[Read: Santa Ana Council Deadlocks on Israel & Palestine Statement]
It also comes after a coalition of activists pressured local officials for months to call for a ceasefire and as leaders in the Jewish, Muslim, Arab & Palestinian communities report an increase in hate incidents locally.
On primary election night, Santa Ana City Council members voted 4-1 on a bilateral ceasefire resolution that condemns terrorism and hate as well as calls for the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas and Palestinian prisoners held by Israel who have not been convicted in court.
Mayor Valerie Amezcua was the dissenting vote and Councilmembers Phil Bacerra and David Penaloza left the chambers before a vote on the resolution.
The formal statement also calls for humanitarian aid for Gazans and recognizes Israel’s security and right to exist as well as a free Palestinian state.
Councilwoman Thai Viet Phan reworded an initial resolution brought forth by Councilman Ben Vazquez to include calling for a two-state solution along with other changes.
“For me, It is not possible to have a resolution unless it specifically calls for a bilateral ceasefire, a release of all the hostages and affirming a two-state solution with the existence and security of Israel and a free and independent Palestinian state,” Phan said during Tuesday’s council meeting.
Vazquez’s initial resolution called for a permanent ceasefire, a release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners and unrestricted humanitarian aid to Gaza.
In a Wednesday text message, Bacerra said he left before public comments on the item because the resolution would not help deliver public services and help create a high quality of life for residents.
“The item was another attempt by the four proponents on the Council to distract people from their failure to make Santa Ana safer and cleaner,” he wrote.
Penaloza did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday on why he left.
After the vote, some people at the meeting triggered a disruption, with applauding and cheering the result. Moments later, as pro-Israeli residents and advocates were leaving, Amezcua called on police to help walk them to their cars.
The city’s YouTube stream did not show what prompted the Mayor to make the request.
“If anybody’s touching anybody, I’m sorry, they should be arrested,” Amezcua said. “You guys got what you wanted so go out peacefully. You say you’re peaceful. You say you’re peaceful, but you’re not.”
Police officers started to stand in front of the dais as they have done in the past during debates on Palestine and Israel.
Following the disruption, Phan said the outburst after the vote was “not our best moment,” and the resolution was not a cause for celebration.
Phan also said she did not make her decision because of the harassment she and some of her other colleagues have faced recently.
“What helped me take this position was the thoughtful, good faith dialogue I’ve had with Jewish community members here in the city of Santa Ana, with Palestinian members of the community, as well as others who have reached out to me seeking respectful dialogue,” she said.
Tuesday’s vote comes as U.S, Qatari and Egyptian officials try to broker a six-week ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas that would allow for the release of hostages held by Hamas and allow more aid into Gaza.
The proposed temporary ceasefire agreement comes about five months after Hamas launched a surprise attack into Israeli territory on Oct. 7 killing over 1,000 people and taking 250 people hostage.
Israeli Defense Forces launched retaliatory operations including airstrikes aimed at eradicating Hamas that Gaza Health Ministry officials say have killed over 30,000 people, displaced a majority of the population and triggered a humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
OC Cities Grapple With Palestine and Israel
Tuesday’s debate in Santa Ana also comes on the heels of Irvine officials narrowly deciding last week against formally weighing in on Palestine and Israel, with a majority of council members voting that what is happening in Gaza is not a local issue.
[Read: Irvine Officials Won’t Formally Weigh in on Palestine and Israel]
Both Santa Ana and Irvine have become the center of the debate in OC on the violence thousands of miles away with people showing up to council meetings in both cities since November to speak on the matter.
Santa Ana was home to Palestinian American activist Alex Odeh, who was killed in Santa Ana at his office in a bombing over 38 years ago.
A statue of Odeh, who was the regional director of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, sits outside the city’s public library.
His killing hasn’t been solved.
Officials in Santa Ana and Irvine aren’t the only ones who have faced pressure to take a stance in Orange County – home to tens of thousands of Jewish and Arab American residents.
Laguna Beach, Stanton and Huntington Beach have passed resolutions in the past few months on the violence, with Surf City leaders unanimously adopting a resolution in support of Israel, a U.S. ally, and condemning Hamas in October.
Other cities in California and across the country including Cudahy, Pomona, Atlanta, Chicago, Montebello, Long Beach, Oakland and Seattle have passed ceasefire resolutions.
The Debate in Santa Ana
Santa Ana residents and local OC activists sounded off on the resolution Tuesday night.
Speakers were initially given two minutes each to give their comments in a 2-hour period. Officials later cut down speaking time to one minute. Most of the speakers who went first were pro-Israel.
Pro-Israeli residents and activists pushed back on the initial proposal in Santa Ana, calling it biased.
They also said Israel has a right to defend itself, that officials should focus on city business not foreign affairs, that there is an increase in anti-Semitism locally and continued debate on the matter is sowing division in the community.
“We all anxiously await for news of a negotiated peace that acknowledges both Israel and Palestinians right to exist in peace,” said Mitchell Cohen during public comment, a Santa Ana resident who is Jewish about an early draft of the resolution before it was amended by Phan. “This resolution does not express such sentiment.”
One woman said her cousin was still held captive in Gaza by Hamas and his wife was killed in Israel in the surprise attack by Hamas.
Pro-Palestine residents and activists voiced support for the initial resolution, arguing there are children and people starving in Gaza and what is happening there is genocide.
They also argued that what is happening thousands of miles abroad does impact what’s happening locally, with some pointing to the assassination of Odeh, U.S. tax dollars being spent in military aid to Israel and an uptick in local hate crimes.
“As you know, there have been an increased number of hate crimes targeting Palestinians for the last five months all over America, and this hate dates back to a Palestinian peace activist in our very beloved Santa Ana.” said Emma, a Palestinian Santa Ana resident who did not give her last name at the meeting.
One woman said several of her family members were killed by Israeli forces in Gaza.
Hosam Elattar is a Voice of OC reporter and corps member with Report for America, a GroundTruth initiative. Contact him at helattar@voiceofoc.org or on Twitter @ElattarHosam.
Hugo Rios is a Voice of OC intern. Contact him at hugo.toni.rios@gmail.com or on Twitter @hugoriosss
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